The Colorado Avalanche do suit up on Friday evening against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but right now, it isn’t the only upcoming game that fans will be talking about. Connor Hellebuyck has (finally) been traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the New Jersey Devils.
Hellebuyck’s eventual departure from Winnipeg has been one of the biggest storylines in the NHL this season and going back into the offseason. He wanted out, the Jets suspended him, and now he got his wish. While some truly believed the Avalanche were in on Hellebuyck, Colorado may not have had enough ammo to make the deal happen.
The Devils receive Hellebuyck while sending the Jets the following package:
Hellebuyck return:
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 23, 2026
Mercer
Command
Daws
Bjugstad
2nd 2029
7th 2027
None of the players that the Jets are getting in return for Hellebuyck are currently a sure thing in NHL standards. It’s believed by many that the Jets did not get the return that was expected for their starting goalie from the past. That bodes well for the Avalanche long-term. The draft picks are never a slam dunk.
However, with the Avalanche facing off against the Devils on Wednesday of next week, they suddenly go from facing Jake Allen to potentially squaring off against their old rival.
Just as the Devils’ schedule plays out, they face the Dallas Stars in Dallas on Tuesday while going to Colorado right after, to face the Avs on Wednesday. That could play a role in whether or not Hellebuyck starts against Dallas orColorado. With both teams being in Hellebuyck’s former division, he’s familiar with either one, so it’s just a matter of deciding who to go with. I think the Devils will let Hellebuyck sit out one game and then have him square off against the top threat in the Central Division. That’s just a hunch.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 23, 2026
In his last 25 games against the Avalanche, Hellebuyck has a record of 13-10-2. Hopefully the short turnaround from Winnipeg to New Jersey isn’t enough time for him to get fully prepared to suit up between the pipes behind his new defensemen, but I fully expect that he’ll be ready to go.
Allen, on the other hand, has played in six games this season, recording a 4-2 record while allowing 3.15 goals per game and has a save percentage of .883. Those numbers are not convincing anyone that he’s the right goalie to face a top contender like the Avalanche.
The fact that the Jets did not receive at least one top star on the Devils, such as Nico Hischier or Timo Meier is music to the Avalanche’s ears. That would have made the rivalry between Colorado and Winnipeg more interesting. Now, however, I don’t think I would even classify it as a rivalry.
Who knows? Maybe the addition of Hellebuyck will make the Devils a consistent contender in the Eastern Conference, something they haven’t been since the 2009-10 season. That could make for an interesting Stanley Cup Final between Colorado and New Jersey.
But now now, we’ll see what type of impact Hellebuyck brings to New Jersey and whether or not the pieces they have are enough to create a winning team. Can he bring the Devils back to the Stanley Cup Final before he calls it a career?
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