Connor Hellebuyck's Devils debut still undetermined as Jets GM explains the trade and Winnipeg fans react

A day after the Winnipeg Jets traded Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils, the big question has shifted from where he will play to when. The answer, for now, is not yet.

Hellebuyck won’t be on the ice when the Devils host the Los Angeles Kings at Prudential Center on Saturday, Oct. 24 (3:30 p.m. ET), NHL.com reported. The Devils said his debut date has yet to be determined.

Catching up? The Jets sent Hellebuyck to New Jersey on Friday, Oct. 23, for forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goalie Nico Daws, the rights to prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

When will Hellebuyck make his Devils debut?

There is no date yet. Hellebuyck hasn’t played this season after asking Winnipeg for a trade over the summer and sitting out training camp, which led to a suspension that was set to end the day he was traded.

The Devils’ own team site urged patience. “He hasn’t participated in an NHL practice, let alone an NHL game, since April,” Devils writer Sam Kasan noted on NewJerseyDevils.com, adding there will be “a lot of rust to knock off early.” The first priority, he wrote, is getting Hellebuyck to New Jersey and around the coaches and team. “Maybe he’ll need a week of practice. Maybe he wants to just jump right in.”

The team site also said Hellebuyck will wear No. 37 for New Jersey.

What the Devils look like now

New Jersey is 6-4-0 and 4-1-0 in its last five games, according to NHL.com. It has been using a tandem of Jake Allen and Nico Daws, and Daws is now headed to Winnipeg in the deal. The Devils site noted that Allen was being asked to shoulder a heavy load at 36, while Daws was still young and unproven.

The Devils site called the move a potential turning point. “With the acquisition of Hellebuyck the Devils have become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender…on paper,” Kasan wrote, describing a Hellebuyck-Allen pairing as possibly the best tandem in the league once he is up to speed.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff explains the Hellebuyck trade

Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke to reporters Friday, The Hockey News reported. He said the goalie market works differently from other positions.

“A goalie market is a little bit of a different market,” he said. “You find out who has legitimate interest, you find out who has legitimate needs… and more importantly, what assets they are willing to move.”

Asked whether the end of the suspension, a four-game losing streak or Sunday’s Heritage Classic drove the timing, Cheveldayoff said they did not. “That impacted nothing,” he said. “The timing of it is the timing of it.” He added that the Jets would have made a deal months ago if one had been available.

He was upbeat about Dawson Mercer, 24, the main piece coming back. “There’s lots of runway in front of him,” Cheveldayoff said, noting that Mercer “broke in as a center, so he has that ability should we need or desire.” Mercer had 20 goals and 22 assists last season, The Hockey News reported.

On how Hellebuyck should be remembered, Cheveldayoff said: “He was a big part of our family, and we accomplished some pretty good things. We obviously didn’t accomplish the end-all goal that we all wanted.”

How Winnipeg fans are reacting

Reaction in Winnipeg was mixed at best. “I’m glad that he’s gone. He didn’t have a good attitude,” Jets fan Gord Walters told CBC News. “He was a good goalie, but I think it was time for a change.”

Hockey analyst Jeff Marek told CBC News Network the Jets had little leverage. “Goaltenders don’t go for big prices to begin with, and when it’s a distressed asset and everyone in the league knows he wants out, there wasn’t a leverage position,” he said.

Cheveldayoff told reporters he expects Hellebuyck’s first game back in Winnipeg as a Devil, on Nov. 10, to be an emotional night, CBC reported. Another fan, Travis Myers, said Hellebuyck is “probably going to hear it” that night.

What’s next

• Devils: host the Kings on Saturday afternoon without Hellebuyck.
• Jets: host the Montreal Canadiens in the 2026 Heritage Classic outdoors in Winnipeg on Sunday.
• Nov. 10: Hellebuyck’s expected return to Winnipeg with New Jersey, per CBC.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck to Devils for Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command and picks (Oct 23)