Updated

Updated · Bleacher Report · Jun 25

NHL Stars Face Draft-Week Uncertainty as Jason Robertson Draws 96-Point Trade Interest

Updated

Updated · Bleacher Report · Jun 25

NHL Stars Face Draft-Week Uncertainty as Jason Robertson Draws 96-Point Trade Interest

Q: Is Connor Hellebuyck's elite past enough for a team to gamble on his massive contract after a down season?

Yes — but only for a contender that believes 2025-26 was an outlier, not the start of a decline. Hellebuyck’s résumé is strong enough to justify serious interest. He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, the 2025 Hart Trophy winner, and an Olympic gold medalist, with a long track record as one of the NHL’s few true franchise-changing goaltenders. His game is built more on positioning, processing and reading plays than pure athleticism, which is the kind of profile teams often trust to age better into a player’s mid-30s. The risk is obvious. He is 33, coming off a poor season by his standards — a 23-23 record and .895 save percentage — and he had knee surgery after a torn meniscus. Any team taking him on would also be committing to five more years at an $8.5 million cap hit, plus dealing with his no-movement protection. That is a major bet on a rebound. Still, the rising salary cap changes the math. With the cap climbing to $104 million next season and higher after that, Hellebuyck’s number is more manageable than it would have been a few years ago. For a team that sees itself one elite goalie away, that cap hit can still look like value if he returns close to form. That is why trade interest persists, but offers remain light. Teams are intrigued by the upside; Winnipeg is resisting because rivals are pricing in too much downside.

3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Jun 25

Jason Robertson has emerged as the biggest pre-draft roster question, with Dallas preparing what Darren Dreger called its final, perhaps best, offer to the 26-year-old restricted free agent.
Robertson's 45 goals and 96 points have fueled outside interest, while Dallas also faces the risk of an offer sheet, arbitration, a one-year deal, or even a sign-and-trade scenario.
Connor Hellebuyck is also drawing calls, including from Florida, but Dreger said offers have not been strong enough for Winnipeg to move the 33-year-old goalie, who is signed through 2031 at $8.5 million annually.
Alex Ovechkin's future remains unresolved as well, with Pierre LeBrun saying no decision is expected before July 1 free agency; the 40-year-old has left retirement on the table after a 900-goal career.
The three cases underline how teams entering the 2026 draft in Buffalo are balancing long-term planning with immediate roster moves in trade and free-agency season.