Connor Hellebuyck Traded to New Jersey Devils: Jets Get Mercer, Daws, Bjugstad and Picks in Blockbuster

The saga is over. After months of standoff, a suspension and a trade request that hung over the entire Winnipeg Jets season, Connor Hellebuyck is a New Jersey Devil. The Jets confirmed the blockbuster on Friday, and honestly, both sides looked relieved it was finally done.

Winnipeg gets a haul back: forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goalie Nico Daws, the rights to 2026 first-round pick Alexander Command, a second-round pick in the 2029 draft and a seventh-rounder in 2027. New Jersey gets one of the best goalies of his generation, signed through 2031. On paper, that is a deal both teams can sell. In reality, only time will tell who actually won it.

How it ended — on the day the suspension ended

The timing said everything. Hellebuyck had requested a trade during the offseason, made his wishes public through his agent on August 27, and then failed to report for training camp. The Jets suspended him on September 16. According to reports, he forfeited $927,835.05 in salary over the 24-day suspension. Friday was the day that suspension was scheduled to end and he was expected to report. Instead, he was traded.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff did not hide his relief. "I'm very comfortable (with) what we accomplished here over the period of time," he said. "I certainly wish we could have done it four months ago, or whatever, when the opportunity started and we were looking (for a trade), but here we are here today."

He also made a point of thanking the goalie on the way out. "We want to thank Connor Hellebuyck on behalf of the fans of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Jets," Cheveldayoff said. "We had lots of good memories, and I choose to remember those as we continue to move forward."

What Winnipeg is actually getting

Start with Mercer. The 24-year-old from Carbonear, Newfoundland, was a first-round pick of the Devils in 2020 and has scored 20 goals in three of his five NHL seasons, with a career high of 27 goals and 56 points in 2022-23. Winnipeg needed scoring after losing Nikolaj Ehlers in 2025, and Mercer helps immediately.

Then there is Command — the jewel of the deal for the future. The 18-year-old Swedish centre was taken 12th overall in the 2026 draft and has been tearing up Sweden's junior ranks. Bjugstad, 34, brings size and penalty-killing to the bottom six. Daws, a third-round pick in 2020, has a .897 save percentage across 59 NHL games and now joins a Winnipeg crease led by Stuart Skinner.

The picks matter too. A 2029 second-rounder and a 2027 seventh-rounder are not headline pieces, but for a team retooling on the fly, they are currency. And crucially, Winnipeg did not retain any salary on Hellebuyck's remaining five years at an $8.5 million annual cap hit.

What New Jersey is buying — and what it costs

Let us be clear about what the Devils just got. Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner (2019-20, 2023-24, 2024-25) and the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP in 2024-25, when he went 47-12-3 with a 2.00 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and eight shutouts to carry Winnipeg to the Presidents' Trophy. Last season he helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, going 5-0 with a 1.18 GAA and a .956 save percentage.

Yes, last season in Winnipeg was a down year — 23-23-11, a 2.86 GAA, an .895 save percentage, no shutouts, and the Jets missing the playoffs. But the Devils are betting that was the situation, not the goalie. In a division featuring Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin, they needed an elite answer in net, and they got one without giving up a first-round pick. Jake Allen can slide back into the backup role he suits.

USA Today's early grades gave New Jersey an A and Winnipeg a B, which feels about right on first read. The Devils got the best player in the deal by a wide margin. The Jets got a respectable return for a player who wanted out — and, just as importantly, they got their dressing room back.

The date circled on every Jets fan's calendar

Mark November 10. That is when Hellebuyck returns to Winnipeg with the Devils, and you can bet that building will be loud. Before that, the Jets have more immediate business: they host the Montreal Canadiens outdoors in the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday. Life moves fast in this league. One era ended on Friday; another starts on Sunday.

Photo: Connor Hellebuyck (file photo). Credit: TheAHL, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Sources

NHL.com — "Hellebuyck traded to Devils by Jets for Mercer, Daws, Bjugstad, picks" (23 Oct 2026)

NHL.com — "Jets GM Cheveldayoff 'comfortable' with Hellebuyck trade to Devils" (23 Oct 2026)

USA Today — "Connor Hellebuyck trade grades: Devils deal ends dramatic Jets saga" (23 Oct 2026)