It’s an unanticipated bit of stories for Hellebuyck, who’s evidently been enjoying via or aggravating a knee concern via the primary a number of weeks of the season. Whereas he didn’t begin the Jets’ final recreation on Tuesday towards the Blue Jackets, he’s shouldered his regular heavy workload this 12 months by beginning 14 of Winnipeg’s 19 video games. That put him squarely on tempo for his fifth consecutive season with 60 or extra begins, however he’ll fall in need of that mark now.
Connor Hellebuyck has been extremely sturdy all through his profession
Hellebuyck being unavailable is extraordinarily uncommon. The 32-year-old has solely missed six video games mixed for the reason that starting of the 2021-22 season, all because of sickness or private causes. In his 11-year NHL profession, he’s solely missed one recreation because of damage, which occurred for undisclosed causes in Could 2021.
The back-to-back Vezina Trophy winner has been on one thing of a chilly streak, which may clarify the timing to close him down — mixed with a lightweight schedule interrupted by the vacation break that may nonetheless get him again within the lineup in time for the Olympics, the place he stays the USA’ projected No. 1 choice. Hellebuyck peaked with a year-to-date SV% of .932 following his sixth begin of the 12 months again on Oct. 23. Since then, he’s produced a extra pedestrian .899 SV% and 4-4-0 document in his final eight appearances.
Getting into this season, Hellebuyck had posted a SV% of .920 or higher in three straight campaigns. By his 14 appearances in 2025-26, he’s right down to a extra conservative .913 mark. A deeper look reveals that’s extra attributable to the crew in entrance of him than his particular person play. In keeping with MoneyPuck, Hellebuyck has nonetheless saved 12.5 objectives above anticipated, rating third within the league. That’s achieved heavy lifting to cowl up a Winnipeg protection that’s arguably been a bottom-10 group within the league up to now. They’re permitting 28.9 pictures per recreation, twenty second within the league, and their 3.56 anticipated objectives towards per 60 in all conditions is sixth-worst. That’s a catastrophic drop from final season, when the Jets’ 2.78 xGA/60 ranked third-best within the NHL.
With Hellebuyck nonetheless acting at an elite stage, the Jets have a 12-7-0 document and are on tempo for 104 factors, after ending with 110-plus factors every of the final two seasons. They’ll have to do some main defensive clean-up — and rapidly — to assist them keep above water as they navigate a stretch of seven of 11 video games towards groups that made the playoffs final 12 months.
A four-week timeline as a best-case state of affairs places Hellebuyck again within the lineup no before Dec. 19 towards the Avalanche. That ends in a minimal absence of 14 video games, however may stretch to twenty if he misses a full six weeks. With Hellebuyck’s earned repute as arguably the league’s most sturdy netminder, Winnipeg understandably hasn’t invested a lot in its goaltending depth. If he’s out for 1 / 4 of the calendar, that would pose a severe concern because the jockey for playoff positioning in a tricky Central Division.
Eric Comrie, who’s coming off a career-high of simply 20 begins in 2024-25, is now Winnipeg’s No. 1 choice till Hellebuyck returns. He was a wonderfully satisfactory backup choice final 12 months, recording a .914 SV% and a couple of.5 objectives saved above anticipated with a 9-10-1 document after a pair of inauspicious seasons in comparable deployment with the Sabres. This season, he’s been equally efficient in spot begins with a 4-1-0 document, .908 SV%, 2.60 GAA, and three.8 GSAx. He’s by no means been examined in an prolonged stretch of begins, although, and has been below-average over his 82-game profession pattern with a .899 SV%, 3.08 GAA, and 37-37-4 document.
If he falters, the Jets don’t have another choice within the group with NHL expertise. Buying a veteran third-string choice, even when there’s a threat of shedding him on waivers when Hellebuyck returns, is a prudent transfer that common supervisor Kevin Cheveldayoff will little doubt pursue.
Within the meantime, Milic steps up from the minors to get his first style of an NHL bench. The 22-year-old is in his third season {of professional} hockey after the Jets chosen him within the fifth spherical of the 2023 draft. The previous Western Hockey League goalie of the 12 months and World Juniors gold medalist had but to realize a foothold on a full-time AHL job, splitting every of his first two years between the Moose and the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals.
Early this 12 months, although, Milic hasn’t simply locked down an AHL job; he’s received the wide-open competitors to function the organizational No. 3 behind Comrie. He’s been given 9 begins in Manitoba to fellow teenager Domenic DiVincentiis’ seven and has been the far superior choice, logging a .921 SV% and a couple of.14 GAA with a 5-2-2 document and one shutout. His restricted observe document makes him a dangerous selection for prolonged deployment, particularly contemplating he had a .877 SV% in 21 AHL video games simply final 12 months. Nonetheless, he’s flashed sufficient promise via the primary few weeks of 2025-26 to earn the preliminary recall.
Suppose the Jets roll with Comrie and Milic in the intervening time and restrict the latter’s utilization to relieving Comrie in back-to-back conditions. In that case, his NHL debut received’t come for an additional week till the Jets play Carolina subsequent Friday earlier than touring to Nashville on Saturday.
