Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - CONNOR HELLEBUYCK WANTS OUT OF WINNIPEG 💣 | Instant Reaction

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

Pinder reacts to the bombshell news that Connor Hellebuyck has publicly confirmed his trade request out of Winnipeg after privately asking the Jets for a move months ago. With training camp getting closer and Hellebuyck making it clear his position hasn’t changed, where do the Jets go from here? Pinder breaks down what this means for Hellebuyck’s future, how much leverage Winnipeg still has, and which teams could realistically step up and make a move for one of the NHL’s best goaltendersVideo Link: https://youtu.be/ncFyBiLEBUc#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.

Whoa, buddies, crazy news. We just wrapped up Thursday's Barnburner with Bobby Germany and Rhett Warner. And news, news, news, something that has been percolating below the surface and rumblings that have been around the NHL, blogosphere, podcast sphere, GM's meetings, whatever it may be. Connor Hellebuck's trade request has officially gone public. The Jets Net Miner, who has played only for the Jets. Jets released this with his new agent today. Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career,

and I will always be grateful for my time there. I have never forgotten June 23rd, 2012. That's the day Winnipeg took a chance on a goalie playing in Odessa, Texas. I give everything I had from that moment to prove to the Jets, they made the right decision. Several months ago, I privately requested a trade. I tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while given the organization time to explore its options.

with training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family. I appreciate everything Winnipeg Jets fans have meant to me throughout my career

and hope a resolution can be reached soon, Connor Hellebuck. So a, who, geez, wow. A situation is suddenly on the lap of Kevin Shevolday off the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets. their best player, the three-time Vezna Trophy Award winner, the only active three-time Vezna Trophy Award winner. A finalist for the trophy, if not the winner of the trophy,

three years in a row until this year's season that was derailed by an injury is suddenly available and wants to go. He has trade protection. There were rumors around the draft about perhaps Hullabuck will move ahead of the draft. the Jets can get high picks and or prospects. The draft arrived. The trade was not made.

The Jets end up getting Vigo Bjork in the top 10, a centerman they desperately need, a team that struggled in the draft of late after having a great run with the Conners and Eilers and Hellebucks and Morrissey's of the world, now have a huge decision on their plate. This is a team that's not built to reload in the sense that they're in a window to win now. They won the President's trophy two years ago.

They are a team that was expected. to be a veteran group that would contend again this year, despite last year everything that went wrong. Now they have their most important player. I want out. Some of the rumors that we heard at the time, maybe Buffalo. It was sort of leaked out that Buffalo wasn't a place he would exercise any sort of no trade protection,

that he would be open to going there. It seems like a perfect fit with Buffalo. They have UPL that they could send back. The Jets are going to need a goalie back in a deal, I imagine. They're sitting on a huge cupboard of prospects that are ready to make the team, have made the team on the cusp of making the team. They also probably don't need to be stockpiling first rounders the next few years. They've been picking very high for 14 years in Buffalo.

Where he goes and how this ends is anyone's guess. But without question, the best goalie of the last decade in the NHL is now requesting out. A gold medal winner, a three-time best winner, a future Hall of Famer. the most important jet. Huge issue to deal with here. And we'll see in the coming days what happens. My thought on why this gets public, he wants it done. I asked you for this.

I said I'd keep things quiet. Here we are days from September, nothing's happened. Like we will have games before the end of September. The NHL regular season starts in a month. I want to get moved. And so where he goes and how that deal looks is going to be fascinating, but the Jets are in a very difficult spot. Goleys don't tend to get a lot back in trade.

I mean, first rounders for goalies is awfully rare. They're going to need a lot more than that to feel like they're getting fair value for arguably the best goalie in the game right now at a future Hall of Famer. And if you want to look back to goalies that commanded first round picks, it's like, okay, well, Jacob Markstrom got one. I guess Spencer Knight was part of a deal where some future. moved in exchange for, I believe, Seth Jones. That's a younger guy.

That's not an established ace, goaltender. Jacob Markstrom deal. I mentioned the Ryan Miller deal. There just isn't a ton, but maybe you don't need a template for a goalie deal. He's a unicorn. Goalies are notoriously volatile, great years followed by mediocre years, mediocre years followed by greatness. Hellebuck has been sort of the one exception to the rule.

Most of his career, he has been. and elite goalie. He gets nominated for the Vezna almost all the time. He did come off that little knee cleanup last year that cost him some time. Did he come back early? We don't know. It wasn't his best year. But he's going to be coveted. There are very few sure things in net mining. He'd be the closest to a sure thing if there is one. So here's what the contract is. He signed a seven-year extension around the same time that Mark Schifley did. That was thought to be a huge, huge turning point for the Jets, keeping guys that could have left by a free agency a year later. Instead, he and Schifely committed to the team.

There's a seven-year deal making eight and a half. That is a good contract. In today's NHL with a skyrocketing cap, if you can get a top five, a top three goalie. Never mind the best goal in the league if you think he's at. At eight and a half, you take it. This is like Linus Olmark, Jeremy Swayman type money. This is not Igor Shisterkin. This is not huge market-setting money, but it'll pay him to,

he's 38. Now, the good news for goalies, age a little more gracefully, typically, than other positions. He's 33. There's still a lot of good net mining in his future. There will be four years at eight and a half starting this upcoming season, the 26-27 campaign. And so let the games begin. Who can get them? How do they get them? What do you have to give up? And how do the jets pivot from here? You can't run it back if Helibuck's not there. He again was the keystone to the whole thing. Fascinating bit of summer news as we approach September. How good is he? Well, here's bet 365. Connor Hellebuck is your favorite to win the Vesna. And why not? This past season before that, it was three years in a row being nominated for the Vesna and two of them he won it.

I think Bob's got two, end of list of guys with multiples that are active in the league, if I'm correct. it's an incredible bit of news that we will follow closely. Buffalo, please? I mean, they got okay debt mining. They got the great depth up front. You love the blue line. Even, you know, to move boat byroom, you still got your, your Asmus Dahlines and your own powers amongst other pieces.

Do they have the combination of a chance to win for the player, the assets to get the deal done enough to make Winnipeg happy, and not on the no trade? We'll see if that's changed. or not, but I think on this show, fans of the Sabres, watched them get competitive last year into the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Is this a piece that moves them from one of the large group of contenders

into like a whoa? Watch out. Sabers have everything now. We'll see. Maybe it's someone else lurking in the weeds. Can Florida squeeze them in Jack? No, they got marks him. We'll see.

There's only so many chairs in the game of a goaltending music. chairs. So we'll see who doesn't have a commitment to a significant number one and has the cap space and the assets and's a contender. And Connor wants to go there. Fascinating days ahead for the Winnipeg Jets for Connor Hullabuck and another American on that U.S. Olympic team saying, eh, you know what? Might be okay telling you where I want to play.