Max Miller
The NHL season hasn’t even started yet, but the San Jose Sharks have been at the center of some of the biggest trade rumors.
Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is currently suspended by his team for failing to report to training camp. The gold medal-winning goalie went public over the summer regarding a trade request.
During a radio hit with The FAN Hockey Show on Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared an update on the Sharks’ connection to the former MVP.
“I think tires have been kicked between the two teams without knowing who initiated it,” Friedman said.
One key detail is missing from this report: when were tires kicked? San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier has done a great job keeping big trades quiet until they are done. First with the Tomas Hertl deal, and then again the following offseason when he acquired Yaroslav Askarov.
As trade rumors have swirled around Hellebuyck, many pundits have connected the Sharks to the 33-year-old. Friedman agreed with The Fan Hockey Show host Matt Marchese that the Sharks’ window to contend for a Stanley Cup would significantly increase with Hellebuyck.
“I actually think your hypothesis is very good. When I sit here and say who makes sense, San Jose is very high on the list for me,” Friedman said. “The challenge is first, can they make a trade. And secondly, I think Hellebuyck looks at his window to win as the next two or three years.”
The Sharks may not be in win-now mode just yet, but Hellebuyck would help them get there. While the team certainly has high hopes for Askarov, adding a proven Hellebuyck would be franchise-altering. As the logjam of forwards has increased, some top prospects haven’t been able to crack the lineup, and may not for a while.
Grier won’t part with top prospects unless it is for something substantial, like Hellebuyck. And if Hellebuyck doesn’t work out, the Sharks still have a top goaltending prospect on the way in, Joshua Ravensbergen.
As a reminder, the timeline of when the two teams “kicked tires” is unclear. This could be a recent development or something that happened before Hellebuyck’s request went public.
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