Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Are The Winnipeg Jets In SERIOUS Trouble?? | BB Clips

Episode Date: September 1, 2026

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett dive deep into Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request and what it could mean for the future of the Winnipeg Jets. After spending his entire NHL career in Winnipeg, the three-time Vezina winner has made it clear he believes it’s time to move on, leaving the Jets with an enormous decision as training camp approaches. Do we actually feel bad for Winnipeg fans after watching another franchise player ask out, and what does losing Hellebuyck say about the bigger challenge of building a contender in Winnipeg? The guys break down where the Jets go from here, what they need to get back in a trade, and potential landing spots for Hellebuyck, with teams like Buffalo, New Jersey and Carolina among the clubs that have been connected to him.Video Link: https://youtu.be/aT1vkUCnCTo#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #winnipegjets CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I don't know that I necessarily blame Helibuck in this situation. I don't either. I looked at their draft tracker. We talked about it on a couple shows. I remember who was here, who wasn't? They've gone like 10 years without a good pick in the first round and lots of hide. Like they have,

and that was their bread and butter. That's where they got their Morrissey's and Eilers and Shifleys. And Helibuck himself is what, a sixth rounder, on and on it went. It was like, this is a team that might work because they're going to be so good at draft and develop. All of a sudden,

they're not good at it for the last 10 years. You're like, no wonder they're struggling. My concern again goes back to the well-being of the league and how these teams stay competitive. I'm worried about Winnipeg a bit, but you've got to remember that a lot of the HRR growth we're seeing, which is the money they split 50 to the players, 50 of the owners. It doesn't matter if no one wants to be there. Totally. So we're talking about two things.

Are we worried about small markets not surviving or are worried about star players want to leave small markets? Those two different chats. Yeah. If it's the star players, I'm with you. Yeah. Like you now have the leverage as a guy coming out of entry level. to say, give me this or I'm going to go fish out a offer sheet. You don't know how it plays out, Dean.

It's a real conundrum. It kind of is, buddy. Yeah. I want everyone to do well. You know what? I really. If you want Rets hot take, Reds top.

Let's go. Can I whiteboard this almost? Yeah, we got it ready. Hey, Bob Gnau, good now, you jackass. He miss a whole year. These salary caps don't work for the players. Oh. Working now okay.

Seems all right. Yeah. It feels like maybe it's okay. Now, we don't see the other side, which is if we had full free agency, would we have a $30 million player? Probably. But it's not not working for the players. It's certainly working for the owners.

Yeah, I can't say what would be different except that we would have played and the owners would have said you can pound sand. Yeah, you weren't going to get the free agency anyway. That's a fair. So let's sit out. I want to miss the second year. Go ahead. We'll still get our cap.

To your point, I just wanted to get the names. the Jets leave Atlanta nine years ago Fat fingers Their first pick Was a first rounder in 2011 They take Mark Shifley The next year

Round one Ninth overall Jacob Truba Nice 2013 13th overall Josh Morrissey Nice The next year round one ninth overall Nikolai Eilers

Then in 2015 Two firsts At 25 Jack Roselvic At 17 Kyle Connor Connor awesome pick. Crushed it. They get part of a lottery win for 2016. At two, they take Patrick Lione.

Too bad for a good pick. It was the right pick. They turned them into PLD, right? But either way. Now, again, you're at two, I guess. But 17 for Connor, those are some picks that aren't in the top five necessarily. All of them played, all them played big roles. And since then, it has.

Part of it is they've trained. some firsts away. Yeah, and they've been close and that's fine, but the ones they have had, they've just missed on. Christian Veselian at 24, David Gustafson at 60, that's in the second rounder. Villi Heenola.

Tinola, yeah, yeah. I don't know if, is it too soon on Perfetti? Little. He's playing. They kind of need him, but he hasn't yet shown what they need him to be. His last three seasons, 19 goals.

18 goals and then 12 last year it's 24 good player not a Connor Shifley Trubo Morrisier Eelers not yet for sure yeah so yeah and then even go more recent because there's some guys they've been waiting for that it just hasn't happened yet they did the record McGroity

deal with Pittsburgh and brought in a prospect taking in the similar area of the drug like they're just this is where you need that push from your first rounders yeah Braden Yeager was the yeah they are that came back for Brody because he didn't want to go Chas Lucius

Colby Barlow in 23 getting a little younger now but yeah it's yeah but if you're looking for people to contribute in 2023 you should like go back to the 2023 draft there would be players oh sure oh yeah yeah yeah

no it's that's where it gets bad because some draft crops are weak and blah blah blah go look the guys around where they've been drafting they've just missed more than they did the prior 10 years they're just pull out of flames for a while So when you talk about, we can get into it in the Pender report, I guess, but you were saying you kind of don't blame Hala Buck.

Well, yeah, Red said that, you know. So what, I guess, I think there's a lot of off-icings that people were harassing him about and they should have left him the F alone to play hockey. And I think he would have a content stay in there. Like, no contract stuff because he's locked up a while ago. Like, what kind of stuff? Well, the gold medal, go to the White House, all that stuff. And it is another American.

And yeah, Olympian, yeah. It's maybe nothing for us, but I don't get. No, and it was a thing in Ottawa. It was a thing in Toronto. I don't know how much of a thing it was in Montreal, but they would have had a couple of times there. It's coffee on the TV. It's kind of a thing.

It's a thing. The American players got pissed off. They also had to do COVID in Canada, which sucked a lot more than COVID in the U.S. for professional hockey players. It's like, just can't argue it. And then when you get together with your buddies, you win a gold medal,

and all of them are saying, Why would you stay there if there's other great places to be? Where are you? Wait a minute. So the only problem I have with all this, because I'm very pro player. Like the billionaires are doing A-OK.

I'm not worried about the billionaires having a tough go running pro sports franchises. You got such a small window as a pro athlete to make as much money as you can. Get a big piece of the pie. Go get it. The problem we have now is that when you get a no trade clause,

it's like, okay, well, we won't trade you. That's a deal. But then you ask for a, a trade and use the clause. Like, no, no, no, no, no. This isn't a trade clause. You're asking for a trade. That's totally different. This is a no trade clause. This is to not trade you. And then you're restricting where the market is that you can be moved to. That's the big thing that I have a problem with. They just extended the CBA. It's not going away until the next one. But I think the league, when it comes up again in the CBA, it's like, you can have a list where if the team's

trying to trade you, they can't. But the moment you ask for a trade, that list fucking gone. Agreed. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. Like Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski, they're turning down offers to places that, well, I don't know what Dylan did, but Wurinsky said no to Dallas. It's like, well, you just basically suggested trade me and now you're telling us no one you're using a no trade list. That one's a little murky because he never really came out and said trade me, whereas Larkin certainly did. Right. Lark is like, I want out. Okay, well, give us, we need a list that's where you've got this no trade clause. I'll give you two teams. That's going to make them a little tricky.

Are you ready to come back to camp? Yeah, regardless of what you thought of Eisenman or what they've been doing since. Yeah. That's. And the same, it's very similar to Winnipeg because you can ask for a trade. There is absolutely no obligation to trade a guy if you're the GM. Now, does it make things very uncomfortable? You're damn right.

Are you going to want to have an agent a few sell days? You absolutely are. Is it going to make your life difficult? Go to the rink, live in your life? Yes. Is it tough on the room? Yes. You can still make them show up during their money.

you can't. I mean, if you want to suspend them without pay. No, that's what it is. It's like, do you want to be in the NHL or not? No, I don't, I'm not suggesting teams should do this. But if you're getting pushback on a trade list and you're like, we told you we wouldn't trade you. Now you're asked for trade.

This list means nothing to us. So expand it to this number of teams or we'll expect you in camp. I think that's the conversations that we're going to start hearing. I think those are the conversations they've already. Maybe that's what's happened with Larkin in Detroit. right. Okay, we promise not to trade you. Now you're asking for one, so give us a list big enough or we'll see it can. That's the problem I have with it.

If we would be, the owners are not going to hurt for money ever. No, they're fine. And the players are doing damn fine too, but you can't. There's a, you have to do business. And if you ask for a no trade and then say, trade me, that's not cool. And it is one of those things. It's like so much we talk about until there's a real pressure point. no one's going to make any kind of a concession.

The team isn't going to take a bad trade offer. Right. And the player isn't going to expand. Right. His list of teams until it's, okay, well, here's a couple more. Or I guess we'll just do this. I would guess because I know that the rumor had kind of been or the rubbley got of Winnipegous, well, he's not going to come to camp.

So is he going to actually ask for a trade? Like, what's going to happen? And then when this came on, so, okay, well, I guess it's that time. I think when he releases the letter, it's just that. It's like, guys, I tried to keep this quiet. I asked politely, we're less than a month away. Let's get her going. But again, that's just his wish.

That is not his right. For those that are just listening, this is the hell of buck statement. More than just, Winnipeg's been my home. I'll always be grateful for my time. I've never forgotten when they drafted me. I'm paraphrasing. Several months ago, I privately requested a trade. I've tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully,

giving the organization time to explore options. Training camp approaching. Fault was important to publicly confirm my request. My position hasn't changed. Moving on is the best path for me and my family. I appreciate the Jets and the fans and everything. That from Connor Hellebuck. Really quick, he's not pulling the Dylan Larkin or the Zach Wrenski

where it's a real short list. The word from the insiders is he's much more open to more markets than some of the other situations we've seen, which I think is going to be helpful for him. go to Buffalo. Yeah, so it's now on the Jets to find a trade that makes sense. And it would have to be one where you get a goalie back, but that can't be the key asset you would think.

No, I think you're getting a goalie. You're getting a really good prospect that's probably ready to play, and you're getting one or two first. I think you're going to do fine here. It might not help you this year more than Lollibuck would, but long term you're going to be able to win this trade. I do believe that. It could really be one of those.

ones where the problem that mess us up your whole trajectory though it does because they're kind of an older team that's built to win now right and they won the president's trophy two years ago and last year was this huge shocker um but you know people the moment that truba asked out thought they were screwed and they did very well in that deal it's kind of like on the other side when teams trade for goalies you think of new jersey when they brought marks tremendous okay well we finally solved our goaltending issue now we can focus on other things well no you didn't and now he is in in florida brought up as well because they just have, I think, Nico Dawes and Jake Allen.

I laughed. I read this thing. It's a possible trade destinations. And they put about 20 teams in the league. Well, is there anybody that doesn't, isn't interested in Hallibuck? The other thing is, I mean, he's not been good in the playoffs. No. So. But he also is the only guy with three Veznas and one back to back and was a gold medal.

Gold medal. It's a corner of all of fame. He's the best goal in the planet. Really? I don't know how you take out of him. like maybe you make a case for Shasturkin, but I'm like, okay, well, it's much smaller sample than Connor. What's his name in Tampa?

Vasselowski would be right there, very good. I mean, you look at what they're working with. It's a lot different. But I just think when you look at the gold of the Olympics, the three Veznas, he's a finalist almost every year where he's hurt as a top three goal. Like normally we see this huge volatility with goalies and we say, ooh, you can't trust the bubble. Yeah, Markstrom's great.

He's been as steady as a top. goalie has been in this league. And he's got the top end where he wins the Vesno when he has a superb year. He's got three. No one else? I think Bob is two. I don't know if anyone else has two. 33. Is there any age concerns there if you're buying? If you're buying your contender

now, and so if you're four and five are just okay, it's eight and a half, the cap be way higher. Eight and a half is not even. It's perfect my own. Like, what's just Sturkin making? Remember that? Like it was not long ago when those signed, they signed that. He's like, oh my. God, this is going to cripple the jets.

It's what's O-Mark's making, basically. This is a perfect deal for the guy that's getting nominated for the Nora or the Vesnavery. It's great. And I know that every team would like Connor Hallibuck because he's one of the best goals in the planet, if not the best. There are not a lot of real places that are candidates

because you need A to cap space, B, you can't have a stud goalie because those guys have no moves. You can't Dallas and say, oh, we'll give you an injury. He's not a goaler way to make. They got a goalie. He's locked in. You also need to have the draft. and the prospect capital to make this deal. One of them or both.

Which doesn't seem like you figure you'll find a way. And some team will find a way. But you have to really want it. And you have to be really sold. We're going to find eight and a half million for this guy. And we're giving up picks and if it's going to be. That's why I wonder if maybe it's just not going to be that big of a hall. Because you're talking about teams that need goalies that are willing to pay for it can

afford it. I think there's three teams that are you get a good deal. Is there a point where, and I don't think there is. but is there a point where the GMs call each other? Like, F, these guys. I think you probably have those chats, but then you also have to call your coach and be like, well, on your owner.

Might be a little poison in the well for a while here, boys. Like we talked about Lark and go back to Detroit and how that was unfathomable. Maybe Stevie Y leaving changes that, but you run the risk of poisoning your room. I would have a hard time. If you're the GM? I would as a player and on a team.

Yeah, hell yeah. Yeah. I can understand it. It's fine, but I would have a hard time supporting the guy that asked for a trade out a third of the way into the season. What if he was your captain and had five years left? All of it, right?

I don't give a shit if it's, right? He doesn't have to wear the sea, but if he's a part of our team, isn't it everyone on? It's all polaro. It's all robed together. Yeah, that's hard for sure. So if I may, the teams that have the assets don't have a stud goalie and the cap space.

New Jersey, Carolina, Buffalo. Now, there's articles out there. These are the names I'm seeing show up consistently the most, and all of them make sense for a lot of different reasons. New Jersey went out to solve their goal-thending problem, Jacob Markstrom and somehow made it worse. He's in Florida now. You're only spending like three, four million bucks on your two goalies.

You can send one of them back to Winnipeg if you need to, whether that's Allen or Dawes or whoever else they got that system. Buffalo is the best fit by a mile because they've been picking in the top, up 10 for a decade and a half. They've got a ton of prospects. They don't need first rounders the next three years like a lot of other teams might. They've been sitting on a war chest of them forever and they got a lot of kids about the pop

whether it's the Osland or the Mercka or Hellenius or even a guy off the roster like Orion McLeod at center. That's a big hole for the jets or maybe it's Josh Norris. They also, CapSpace ain't going to be a problem. They didn't go blow their brains out on Alex Tuck. They didn't give Owen Byron the 12 and a half that he got from Chicago, which suddenly seems like a normal number.

And then the other team's Carolina. The one team that's never paid for net mining, but let Freddie Anderson walk and has a lot of assets, Nickcission's a big piece that they're having a tough time on a second deal with. And they're in a win now mode window, like they can move some first. You and I both look like idiots in regards

to that. To which? Chicago contract for. No, I mean, look. Anyway, I don't want to get into that. But that's separate conversation, but I still think there's better pets on the jersey's interesting to me because what's Hughes doing? Yeah, and that might be tied in. Right?

like, well, if we're going to get that guy, then I want the goalie. And now we go from here to here. And it's, isn't that part, it's the Helibuck thing. Yeah. You would think as a GM, you sign a guy, long term, big money, I can rest easy now. I can go to bed, I can sleep. No matter what I got a goalie. And what's the hardest puzzle piece.

Jack Hughes wants a minute. Oh, you, what do you mean? You want? Like, you can get blindsided that easily and have your hands completely tied. I guess I got to trade this guy now we just signed him he's here long term shit right new GM in Jersey

new GM in Buffalo and a team that Buffalo makes a lot of sense it makes so much sense right and the word was and this is just speculation but it's from the right people Buffalo was not going to be a problem or something he exercised no trade protection on

yeah there's not many it sounds shitty to say but there's not a lot of big high profile players who will be okay going to totally i think that's why even more so you have to do this if you're buffalo yeah because you might not be able to get the next high profile you probably won't be able to get the next high profile you're trying to because yeah just pay honestly like you've

deleted two good players off your team your young guys are going to be better you've got kids coming you've been picking high forever the goaltending was good but probably unsustainably good you don't pay anyone high end money and you're not going to pay this guys that's what it means so much sense. I would overpay if I'm Buffalo because if you have to live with one of the best goalies on the planet and a few less prospects picks in one roster player and the goalie that he's better. And also like you said, like where are they picking? Yeah, it's about to get lower. They've been picking a life in the last 15 years. It makes so much sense in Buffalo, which would be so cool because this is the team that couldn't get anything

right. No matter how high they picked, how many years in a row, it still wouldn't work. and then they have this magical season and immediately have to deal with tuck and buy them and you're like, ugh, here's how you make your team better. Go upgrade your netmining. There you go.

Easy peasy. Unless we'll get larking while you're out. Do you feel bad for the Jets? I do feel bad for the Jets. I feel bad for the fans in Winnipeg because you lose him and you can look at and go, oh, this is going to make us better.

Well, when? Yeah, not this year. When, right? I thought we were in the... It sucks. Yeah. And you talk about as a player being in the room. Like if you're one of those guys.

And it's like, I'm staying, you're staying. We're all signing. It's not the sexiest market, but we love each other. And we think we got a chance to... You're not staying anymore? We're not going to win. Yeah. And I'm here all winter.

You're kind of a big part of what could make us win. Like, I kind of stayed because you said you were staying. We did that together. We signed. And a brother. Oh. Well.