Why would the Winnipeg Jets even consider moving Connor Hellebuyck, who is more than just their best player, but their outright backbone?Part of it is player-driven, which leans into a growing trend of player empowerment around the NHL. While he hasn’t formally requested a trade, Hellebuyck questioned whether the Jets could truly build a contender when the season ended. His timeline and age only add pressure to the situation for two reasons.Winnipeg’s best window, as things stand, has to line up with Hellebuyck’s best years. While those are likely already behind him at age 33, he still has more in the tank to go on another few runs. But if the Jets aren’t ready to retool quickly into a contender in front of him, then it might make sense to bring back a haul, and start planning for the future — if there’s a haul to be had.While Hellebuyck’s playoff pedigree hasn’t always been sparkling, elite bona fide starting goalies don’t grow on trees in the NHL. He has been one of the best regular-season netminders in the league in recent years, and his play at the Olympics proved that he can finally win the Big Game.There may not be a formal trade request, but according to colleague Chris Johnston, “minds are open to the possibility” of the Jets and Hellebuyck parting ways.So which teams could or should be pursuing Hellebuyck?Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a perennial Stanley Cup contender without an NHL goaltender under contract. They also have approximately $7 million in cap space to work with, even after adding Team USA Olympian Brady Tkachuk and putting a healthy Aleksander Barkov back on the books. The problem? The Cup-contending team that’s the most obvious needs-based fit for Hellebuyck is also spending itself out of assets, moving Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle and then three first-round picks to Ottawa in a flurry of Sunday activity.If they’re willing to move a 24-year-old second-line centre, Anton Lundell — and that’s a big, perhaps unlikely if — then there’s an obvious fit and the Panthers are stacked at every position. Barkov and Sam Bennett are an elite centre duo, even without Lundell, while Winnipeg might also be interested in Niko Mikkola as a big defenceman or Evan Rodrigues as a depth piece.The problem is justifying that asset price to the Panthers. With Lundell included, the secondary pieces are a luxury. Without him, they’re not enough to make the deal. Their most straightforward play may be to sign Sergei Bobrovsky or look for a goaltender without Hellebuyck’s gold medal-winning, Hart Trophy resume.New Jersey DevilsJacob Markstrom’s two-year, $6 million AAV extension technically hasn’t even kicked in yet, so in theory, the Devils don’t have to be in the market for a new goaltender. At his best, Markstrom can be a difference-maker. New Jersey just hasn’t consistently seen that level; he’s coming off a year where he earned an .883 save percentage and allowed 11.4 goals above expected in 44 appearances.Maybe a much-needed change in the goalie coach is enough to get Markstrom back on track. Still, betting on a 36-year-old to up his level is risky, especially after squandering away another year of its playoff window last season. The team may want more certainty in net. Enter, Hellebuyck.It makes sense from Hellebuyck’s perspective, too: New Jersey has an exciting up-and-coming general manager in Sunny Mehta who is already making moves, plus there’s the USA Hockey connection with Jack Hughes.While Šimon Nemec can’t be dangled anymore in return, the two first-rounders acquired in that deal could be a part of the package. The Devils have their own first-round picks to offer, plus Dawson Mercer as well. That should be enough trade capital to cover a goalie trade of this magnitude and some upgrades up front. New Jersey just has to shed some cap in the process.Buffalo SabresThe Jets and Sabres have a long history of being trade partners – a history that was recently extended at the deadline with the Logan Stanley-Luke Schenn trade. So with those dealings, Winnipeg should already have a deep understanding of Buffalo’s asset pool. The Bowen Byram trade just added to that pool of assets with picks No. 4 and No. 45, and Louis Crevier and cleared cap space to absorb Hellebuyck’s cap hit.For years, the idea of a star waiving their no-trade or no-movement clauses for Buffalo was unfathomable. Blame the taxes or the weather, but one of the most pressing issues was the fact that the Sabres were in the midst of a lengthy playoff drought, with little hope of ending it.Until now. Players are starting to take Buffalo off their no-trade lists. Add in Tage Thompson’s Team USA experience with Hellebuyck, and there could actually be some juice here — if the Sabres are in the market for a true No. 1.Buffalo likely has more pressing needs first, such as figuring out the right side of its blue line and finding an Alex Tuch replacement. And the team already has a crowded crease, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, Colten Ellis and Devon Levi. But this would allow the team to solidify and simplify things, after volatile goaltending complicated the Sabres second-round series against the Canadiens. If they did make the No. 4 pick available to Winnipeg, the Jets could take Manitoban defenceman Carson Carels for a feel-good story and a new top prospect.Minnesota WildLike the Devils and Sabres, the Wild technically have two NHL-caliber goaltenders. And even with some uncertainty around Filip Gustavsson due to offseason hip surgery, Minnesota has an emerging No. 1 in Jesper Wallstedt, who stood tall as the starter in the playoffs last spring.But what if this team wants to amp things up and go all in? What if this team wants more certainty in net in this window with Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber all in the primes of their careers?And what if that certainty could come from a goalie who won gold with Wild general manager Bill Guerin for Team USA?The Wild’s asset pool obviously isn’t as deep as some of the other contenders in this picture after acquiring Hughes. A package would likely center around Wallstedt, who could take over the reins as the Jets’ No. 1 and give this team a stronger long-term outlook at just 23 years old. But it’s hard to see how Minnesota can swing this and add a top-six center, which should be management’s top priority.Really, the Wild only makes sense in this situation if Hellebuyck deems this to be the destination of his dreams.Carolina HurricanesThe Hurricanes have been a tandem team in net since Cam Ward played 61 games for them in 2016-17. They’re barely a week removed from winning the Stanley Cup, with Brandon Bussi taking over from Frederik Andersen in goal. If anybody can make do without a star No. 1, the Hurricanes just proved they’re it.But the Hurricanes are also big game, big value hunters. At $8.5 million AAV under a new $104 million salary cap (that’s projected for continued increases), Hellebuyck is both of those things. Even in a “down” year, he saved 26 goals above expected behind a porous Jets defence and won a gold medal behind Jaccob Slavin on Team USA.The case is made better by the Hurricanes’ creativity and ambition as an organization, including the recruitment and signing of Hellebuyck’s ex-teammate, Nikolaj Ehlers, last summer.The Hurricanes have several different types of assets available to move. Carolina has abundant cap space, but needs to sign (or move) 24-year-old, left-shot defenceman Alexander Nikishin. The Hurricanes have all of their own first-round picks for the next several seasons, plus the Stars’ top-10 protected first-round pick in 2028. They also have a couple of intriguing prospects: 21-year-old forward Bradley Nadeau — fresh off a 17-point Calder Cup playoff run which followed two point-per-game AHL seasons — and 19-year-old Russian goaltender Semyon Frolov. Most exciting — but so improbable as to warrant inclusion as a trivia item? The local guy, Seth Jarvis.Vegas Golden KnightsWhen it comes to naming top-end talent as a target and then recruiting that talent onto its club, Vegas’ resume is as glittering as it gets in the NHL. The Golden Knights have moved themselves to the front of the line in blockbuster trades for Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, Mark Stone, and their 2025 sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner. They’ve also just lost the Stanley Cup Final in part due to a miserable performance by Carter Hart.If the Jets found the right trade, it should be easy to sell Hellebuyck on stepping into the starter’s net on a team with so much playoff success. Vegas could absorb Hellebuyck’s $8.5 million cap hit by including $6.25 million AAV goaltender Adin Hill in the deal. Otherwise, it’s difficult to find an asset fit (shy of a Pavel Dorofeyev sign-and-trade.)Meanwhile, the Jets’ and Golden Knights’ playoff rivalry — two decisive Vegas wins — could be a stick in the spokes of Winnipeg’s interest in dealing with the 2026 runners-up.Edmonton OilersThe Oilers don’t make sense for a myriad of reasons. The first: limited cap space. But even if Edmonton moves out salary, such as with a Darnell Nurse trade, the team still probably doesn’t have trade assets to flip to Winnipeg. The team is already without its next two first-rounders, is short on mid-round picks over the next couple of seasons and also has few prospects to offer.Then there’s the Hellebuyck of it all, and if he would even be willing to waive his no-movement clause for Edmonton. It’s one thing to take the gamble on two more years of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It’s another thing to be stranded there for five more years.So why mention them? Because the Oilers are in the thick of their window of contention and desperately need a stable and reliable goaltender. There are only so many true No.1 options on the market this offseason, so Edmonton should be kicking the tires at every single potential option just to see if there’s a sliver of a chance.Utah Mammoth, San Jose SharksThe Utah Mammoth are among the richest in terms of cap space, NHL-ready assets, and top prospects — including a big, fast centre in Caleb Desnoyers. If they want to go big game hunting to double down on their 2026 playoff spot, keeping pace with Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota in the Central Division, they could do worse than adding an elite goaltender.The downsides? The Mammoth are further away from Cup contention than some of the other teams on this list, adding a question mark to the Cup-focused Hellebuyck’s interest in waiving his no-movement clause. The Mammoth also have Karel Vejmelka in goal, earning a $4.75 million AAV on a contract with a 10-team, modified no-trade clause. He’d be a sensible inclusion in a trade if he, in turn, were open to Winnipeg, giving the Jets a middling replacement in goal.Like the San Jose Sharks, who could theoretically offer Yaroslav Askarov as a netminding hopeful, the Mammoth are probably too far away from their moment to be the ideal destination if Hellebuyck is moved this summer.If the Jets don’t get the assets they’re looking for and hold on to Hellebuyck, then another Mammoth step forward would give top young teams a bigger case in the 2027 version of this same deal.