Could the Panthers land Hellebuyck and build an NHL superteam?
After goaltender Connor Hellebuyck publicly requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, the Florida Panthers have emerged as a possible destination, though the club faces a serious salary cap squeeze. A potential deal could see several Florida players head to Winnipeg.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has publicly requested a trade away from the Winnipeg Jets, and the Florida Panthers are being mentioned as one of his possible next destinations. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner would make Florida's already strong roster even more formidable, but the main obstacle is the salary cap — the club currently has less than 35,000 dollars of cap space available, while Hellebuyck's salary for the season is 8.5 million dollars.
The decision rests with the goaltender
Hellebuyck's contract includes a clause allowing him to reject a trade to an undesired team, meaning the final say largely rests with him. Recent precedent suggests players with similar contracts have viewed Florida favorably — examples include Brady Tkachuk's situation in Ottawa and Dylan Larkin, who had included Florida on his list of preferred teams. This suggests Hellebuyck could also be open to approving a move there.
Solving the cap problem
To create room for Hellebuyck's salary, the Panthers would need to trade away several players. Anton Lundell, whose contract runs four more seasons with a five-million-dollar cap hit, and Eetu Luostarinen, who earns three million dollars this season, are both mentioned as possible pieces. Trading the two would free up eight million dollars in cap space, though that alone would not be enough. Adding goaltender Akira Schmid, whose contract costs two million dollars, would resolve the cap issue. Another option involves goaltender Jacob Markstrom, though a 20-team no-trade list in his contract could complicate such a deal.
In return, Winnipeg would receive two forwards capable of strengthening its top three scoring lines, along with goaltender Schmid. The Panthers are already considered among the favorites for next season, and adding Hellebuyck could resolve the team's goaltending questions following Sergei Bobrovsky's departure, while the Jets would gain players to help their push for a playoff spot.
