Connor Hellebuyck was in purgatory, and now he’s living in hell. Looks like he preferred both in Winnipeg. After 11 seasons with the Jets, three-time goalie Vézina played his first game for another NHL team, earning a win for the New Jersey Devils in Dallas on Tuesday night.
Hellebuyck arrived in the United States by force leaving Manitoba, and the 33-year-old’s status as the president’s favorite player, a playoff choker and a possible fading contender coming off the worst season of his career all serve to dampen the excitement over his move to Jersey. But goaltending was a hole the Devils desperately needed to fill, and the modest package they sent in return — primarily 20-goal scorer Dawson Mercer and the kid they drafted 12th overall this year, Alexander Command — means they should be a better team right away.
The pressure is certainly on Jersey to show real improvement. After a promising first-round playoff victory over the Rangers in 2023 – their first series win since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 – a mix of injuries and youth on the board kept the Devils from really making any noise. It was supposed to be a new era for Jersey when Jack Hughes and co broke out, but so far the team’s most important players have yet to prove they can lead a contender. However, there is reason to be optimistic about their depth, if not high-end talent. Raiding Nashville for solid all-rounder Luke Evangelista, who still has a high ceiling at just 24 years old, was perhaps my favorite move of the offseason, while another winger, rookie Amadeus Lombardi, is one of my top newcomers to watch for reasons that only have about 80 percent to do with his name. (His siblings are Symphony and Ulysses, by the way.) The most glaring weakness has been in goal, with Jacob Markstrom failing to be the answer over the past two seasons. So the purchase stops here.
With the Devils at full strength and Hellebuyck in goal Tuesday, it was hard to view them as anything other than a serious threat. The skaters made it very easy for the newcomer, taking a 3-0 lead in the first half of the game while severely limiting Dallas’ scoring opportunities. Although the Stars’ second-period deflection goal served as a slight speed bump, the road team still took home a 5-1 victory. Hellebuyck showed no rust despite his long separation from Winnipeg, during which he trained at Michigan in less than ideal conditions, and his 17 saves were more than enough for a fourth straight victory for the Jersey boys. Everyone who participated in this mini-streak was pretty decisive in regulation, and the Devils are now 8-4-0 on the year.
“I thought the guys in front of me played a perfect game for me to get acclimated. Low shot count, blocking everything, keeping everything out. They let me touch the puck a lot,” the goaltender said post-game. “You can practice touching it and feeling good with your hands, but it’s all about immediate decisions, checking and having a play already decided before you even get the puck. So, I touched it as many times as I could just to get there.”
“It was definitely our worst game of the season,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “But they were good too.”
Hellebuyck is adjusting socially and physically to his new workplace. According to The Athletic, with just two hours’ notice, he showed up to his new team’s Halloween party in Hoboken, dressed in an ATM outfit — likely a reference to the fact that he was missing his paychecks while sitting around.
“Not only does he look like he’s in mid-season shape, but it looks like he’s been here a long time,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He has a huge level of confidence, and for good reason: he’s earned it.”
Meanwhile, with career minor leaguer Clay Stevenson in net (although that’s certainly not the only problem), the Jets lost their sixth straight game on Tuesday, falling 5-1 at home to the Panthers. They will welcome the Devils to their rink very soon, with a “Fuck You, Connor” party planned for November 10.
Gn sports
