Should the Rangers trade for Connor Hellebuyck?
The New York Rangers got dealt a devastating blow with the news that all-world goalie Igor Shesterkin will miss the rest of the regular season with an injury he suffered last week.
Rangers general manager Chris Drury has several options in front of him to address the situation, ranging from bringing in backup help and letting the promising Dylan Garand run with the starting job for the rest of the year to acquiring a frontline starter to man the crease in Shesterkin’s absence.
An obvious, and tantalizing, possibility is a blockbuster trade to acquire Connor Hellebuyck, who is sitting out after requesting a trade from the Winnipeg Jets. Hellebuyck and Shesterkin both have term on their contracts beyond this season, so it would mean either moving one in the summer or committing to the aggressive approach of rostering two of the most elite goalies in the sport, making it an unlikely scenario.
On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and co-host and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discussed the logistics of even making a trade to New York happen and what the fallout from a trade of such magnitude would look like for the Rangers moving forward.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Let’s go to fill-in-the-blank, because I see the YouTube chat is buzzing with this, and I understand it’s kind of the logical thing to point a figure to, but the idea that the Rangers lost one of the best goalies in the sport, Igor Shesterkin, the other one, Connor Hellebuyck, he’s sitting at home with nothing to do. Call up the Winnipeg Jets. So let me throw you your first fill-in-the-blank, the Rangers getting Connor Hellebuyck would be [BLANK]?
Carter Hutton: I think… not happening. I just don’t think it is. I just think with the factor of how much they’d have to give up to get Hellebuyck, and he has term on his contract, right? So then you have to give up assets, you get him, and then you have Shesterkin back when he comes back next year? There’s not enough seats at the table. I just don’t think it’s manageable to get Hellebuyck with what you’re going to give up to really help your team. It’d be different if we were sitting here and this was the Carolina Hurricanes, and it’s like we’re trying to win a Stanley Cup. I still don’t think the Rangers are in that window, so I just think getting Connor Hellebuyck is kind of realistic, Ty.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Yeah, I’ll say the Rangers getting Connor Hellebuyck would be cool if this was a video game. If you could just go to the trade finder and put in a couple of first-round picks, and yeah who cares? It sounds great in theory, and it would be fun, and whatever, but you’re going to get him for one year, and then what? Next summer, all of a sudden the headache is on you to go and trade a goalie? Then there’s also going to be the conversation, like you’re signing yourself up for a lot of drama I think, too.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode below…
