Connor Hellebuyck Linked to the Panthers and the Hurricanes by Darren Dreger

As the trade deadline approached, the CH was in the mix for goalies.

The playoffs finally made us realize that Kent Hughes was right to shake up his goaltending rotation.

Could he be interested in Connor Hellebuyck, for example, who has been the subject of trade rumors for the past few days? My answer: no. However, Darren Dreger has linked two Eastern Conference teams to the goaltender: the last two Stanley Cup champions. Indeed, Dreger (Overdrive) mentioned the Panthers and the Hurricanes.

Dreger: “Carolina could be a stop for Connor Hellebuyck… They've got some interesting young guys who are unprotected—like Seth Jarvis, who's from Winnipeg and is unprotected; he doesn't have trade protection, that's what I'm saying.”

— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 18, 2026

The Jets need help on offense, and even if Florida doesn't want to trade Anton Lundell, it's clear that Winnipeg would ask for the center plus other assets.

And if Carolina were to go after the goaltender, could a player like Seth Jarvis head in the opposite direction? Jarvis is from Winnipeg and doesn't have a no-trade clause… That could be an interesting move for the Jets.

However, given how Brandon Bussi and the Canes played in the Stanley Cup Final, in particular, I don't see Eric Tulsky making any drastic changes to his lineup. Hellebuyck is good, but Bussi gets the job done.

The Florida option for a goaltender seems more logical. Florida isn't going to pay a fortune for Sergei Bobrovsky, and he seems to be on his way out. His replacement could be none other than the best in the world right now.

Paul Maurice's team missed the playoffs last year due to injuries, but the squad that has won two of the last three Stanley Cups is still capable of winning it all. If several teams in the Atlantic Division weaken, Florida could become even more dominant.

In Brief

– Canada wins its first-ever World Cup game. Hat trick for Jonathan David. Canada needs only a draw against Switzerland to win its division and advance to the knockout stage.