In his homecoming to Winnipeg, it appears Connor Hellebuyck will keep a bench seat warm.

According to a press release from the New Jersey Devils, their analytics do not believe that playing him helps them win:

“This has been an organizational decision for us that we’ve debated at length. Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play on Tuesday in Winnipeg. However, in our estimation, playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability. Even though Connor isn’t playing, at his request, we will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre.”

No doubt, a very off-putting decision for a team that paid a hefty price to acquire the services of a netminder of Hellebuyck’s caliber. New Jersey sent forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, center prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, to the Jets.

For Hellebuyck, despite missing time to start the 2026-27 campaign, having a suspension from Winnipeg that drew out into the NHL regular season amid his trade request, he has been exactly what the Devils ordered. It should be noted that the franchise has been without a Vezina trophy winner in their crease since Martin Brodeur was suited up for the team over a decade ago. In the last ten seasons, dating back to 2016-17, the Devils have employed 12 goaltenders who have played at least 10 NHL games; none of them have posted a save percentage above Hellebuyck’s career .916 across 600-plus games.

After earning a shutout in a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hellebuyck’s record stands undefeated at 5-0-0 with a 1.96 goals against average and .913 save percentage. That is exactly the kind of start you want for a 33-year-old that you have as the third-highest-paid No. 1 goalie in the NHL, which isn’t without reason. His $8.5MM per season will earn him $59.5MM by the time he’s 38 years old in 2031.

At the Jets’ 2025-26 end-of-season press conference, Hellebuyck had expressed that the Stanley Cup was the only milestone missing from his resume, which didn’t appear to be attainable in Winnipeg, based on last season’s lulls. Right now, a 7-8-3 record demonstrates that kind of notion, having just 17 points. However, as of this writing, it should be noted that the majority of the Central Division is not far from Winnipeg’s crosshairs, as the Stars and Avalanche both hold 22 points entering this week, and just above the Jets flying altitude of sixth, the Predators and Mammoth each possess 21 points.

The Devils will hold a press conference after the team’s practice in Winnipeg. Hellebuyck will speak further on the decision then as well and it appears they think that Jake Allen is the better option for this upcoming Tuesday’s tilt. Allen’s numbers compared to Hellebuyck have seen a 6-3-0 record with a 3.20 goals against average and .881 save percentage. They might mention these very implications; Winnipeg is in the Western Conference and, as an opponent, does not pose as much of a threat as the Washington Capitals, who, with 18 points to start this week, face the Devils in a home-and-home series later this week.

New Jersey is faring much better than the Jets, given the overall trajectory for Hellebuyck as the outright second-best Metropolitan team with 26 points and a 13-5-0 record. The team is a +15 in goal differential, a much better offense than that of Winnipeg’s -14. If there were no dramatic stakes, the decision to play Allen has validity, but this isn’t your ordinary November hockey game.

Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina trophy winner as the league’s best netminder, and 2024-25 league MVP, and nearly reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Jets in 2017-18. For a former fifth-round pick, that resume easily points him as one of, if not the greatest player, this organization has come across since the team moved from Atlanta to north of the border in 2012.

Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images