The New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets are working on a trade that would send star goalie Connor Hellebuyck to the Garden State, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Winnipeg has confirmed the trade.
The finalized return headed to Winnipeg includes 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. Command was notably the first draft pick in general manager Sunny Mehta’s tenure with New Jersey.
The Mehta-led New Jersey Devils have pulled off the blockbuster of the early season. This move brings an end to a standoff between Hellebuyck and the Jets that was set to reach a climax over the coming weeks.
Winnipeg had suspended the former Vezina Trophy-winner for not attending training camp, but Hellebuyck was due to be reinstated before the end of the month. The Jets were bound to face tough questions on how they should ease Hellebuyck back into a roster that he seemingly did not want to be a part of.
Instead, they’ll send him across the continent and reel in an impressive trade return.
Headlining the package headed to Winnipeg is 2026 12th-overall pick Command. The 6-foot-1 centerman was one of the biggest draft risers over the course of last season, as he honed in on his flashy athleticism and heads-up playmaking.
He reached 44 points in 30 games in Sweden’s U20 league, while adding seven points in as many games at the World U18 Championships. He is a dynamic scorer, capable of driving the offense and working off his wingers from the middle lane.
More than that, Command contributes away from the puck – bringing reliable defense and an ability to win important faceoffs. He is a bet on upside who seems to have wind behind his sails.
New Jersey will also part with 24-year-old Mercer in this move, bringing to fruition a move that fans have anticipated for a while. Mercer – the 2020 18th-overall pick – has been a consistent impact for New Jersey since joining the team in 2021.
He scored 17 goals and 42 points in his rookie season, then grew to a lofty 27 goals and 56 points in his second season. Those latter marks still stand as a career-high, though Mercer has averaged 20 goals and 42 points per 82 games played across five full seasons.
More than that, he has never missed a game – appearing in all 420 games that the Devils have played since the start of the 2021-22 season.
Mercer spent most of his time next to Devils’ captain Nico Hischier, which certainly supported the successful start to his NHL career. When he wasn’t playing on Hischier’s wing, Mercer offered an alternative for the third-line center role.
He has racked up a measly 39.2 faceoff percentage on 1,551 faceoffs in his career. He has also averaged 34 hits and 50 shot blocks per season.
Winnipeg could see a glimmer of upside in Mercer’s sole 50-point season and pair of 40-point finishes. He should have plenty of room to carve out a role in the Jets offense, with young forwards Viggo Bjorck and Isak Rosen failing to command major minutes yet.
Mercer could move above Bjorck for Winnipeg’s second-line center role, or – more likely – slot into the third-line right-wing spot ahead of Brad Lambert. Either way, his presence will help stock the shelves of a Jets lineup facing an injury to winger Nino Niederreiter.
Notably, this move will cement Stuart Skinner as the Jets’ starting goaltender. The 27-year-old signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Winnipeg on July 1st.
He is off to a great start in his new colors, carrying a 3-1-3 record and a .912 save percentage through seven games this season. Those are encouraging numbers after Skinner weathered through disappointing performances with the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins over the last two seasons.
He was once a productive starter in Edmonton, recording a 65-30-10 record and a .910 save percentage in 109 games with the Oilers between 2022 and 2024.
A move to Winnipeg has seemed to bring Skinner back to his old form. Daws will draw in as Skinner’s backup – the same role that he shared with Jake Allen over the last four seasons in New Jersey.
Daws has posted a 2-2-0 record and .872 save percentage in four games this season, bringing his career totals up to a 26-26-1 record and .897 save percentage in 59 total games. He has performed relatively in line with league average, through scattered appearances each season.
Daws has also set a 60-60-21 record and .899 save percentage in 142 AHL games across five seasons.
Each of these pieces will boost a Jets lineup that is losing a true pillar. Hellebuyck has been the Jets’ starter for the last decade.
He took over the starting role in the 2016-17 season and didn’t let it go – posting a .907 save percentage in 53 starts during his rookie season, then rising to a .924 save percentage and a league-leading 44 wins in 64 starts in 2017-18. Hellebuyck earned Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy votes after that performance.
Two seasons later, he won his first Vezina Trophy with a .922 save percentage and 31 wins in 56 starts in 2019-20.
Hellebuyck didn’t dip below a .910 save percentage in any season between 2017 and 2025. He finished third in Vezina voting in 2023, then won back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025.
The latter Vezina was coupled with a Hart Trophy win, on the back of a .925 save percentage and 47 wins with the 2024-25 Jets.
Between 2016 and 2026, only Andrei Vasilevskiy has posted more wins (357) than Hellebuyck (332). Vasilevskiy is also the only goaltender with a higher save percentage, boasting a .917 to Hellebuyck’s .916.
Part of Hellebuyck’s second-place ranking can be chalked up to a career-worst performance last season. After nearly a decade of uninterrupted success, Hellebuyck fell to just 23 wins and a .895 save percentage in 57 games last year.
It was his first time falling under a .910 save percentage since his first year as a starter and just his fourth time not receiving any award voting. Hellebuyck mitigated a terrible season with a tremendous performance during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
He was one of Team USA’s most impactful players – notching five wins in as many starts, and a .956 save percentage, en route to a Gold Medal win over Team Canada.
Hellebuyck will face the challenge of righting that ship with a move to New Jersey. The Devils boast one of the statistically strongest teams in the NHL – leading the league in expected-goals-for-percentage (xGF%) with 60.3%.
They have allowed just 2.1 expected-goals-against per 60 (xGA/60), the second-best mark in the league, while Winnipeg’s 2.8 xGA/60 ranks 24th. Hellebuyck should be part of a stronger lineup in his shift to New Jersey.
Coincidentally, his rise back to elite status could be the final piece of New Jersey’s puzzle – moving them from frustrated playoff hopefuls into true Stanley Cup contenders.
That will be the bet Mehta leans on through his first season at the helm of the Devils. Multiple moves of his are already paying dividends, including the acquisition of top-six forward Luke Evangelista.
If Mehta can hit on another gutsy bet, his acquisition of Hellebuyck could quickly turn around years of mediocre finishes in New Jersey.
Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.
Pro Hockey Rumors’ Gabriel Foley contributed to this article.