Connor Hellebuyck suffers from lackluster offseason
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Is Connor Hellebuyck being truly let down by management with lackluster efforts in trying to surround the superstar netminder with more talent?
The Winnipeg Jets had a truly successful season in 2023-2024, earning 110 points in the regular season and second place in the Central Division. Despite this 52-win campaign, the Jets couldn't get past the first round of the playoffs, losing in five games to the Colorado Avalanche.
In response to this early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Jets did virtual nothing. They are bringing back the same forward group, minus center Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli. They've also lost defenseman Brenden Dillon to free agency and bought out the contract of defender Nate Schmidt.
But according to Bleacher Report, it's why the Jets and Hellebuyck are some of the biggest losers of the offseason. Adam Gretz explores on why the MVP-caliber goaltender is in such a difficult position.
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"As long as he is in the lineup and playing at that level, the Jets are going to be a formidable opponent and will have a chance on most nights," he wrote. "That is the power of having an elite franchise goalie. But the problem with having an elite franchise goalie like Hellebuyck is they tend to trick teams and front offices into thinking their team is better than it actually is because the goalie can mask so many flaws. The front office gets complacent and doesn't feel pressure to change things, the team gets stuck, and it eventually wastes its goaltending gift."
Gretz makes a tremendous argument. The Jets have been bounced in the first round of the postseason over the last two seasons, they also didn't make the playoffs in 2021-2022, and lost in the second round during the shortened 2020-2021 and 2019-2020 seasons. In this time, Hellebuyck has won two Vezina Trophies and been consistently in the conversation of the top three goaltenders in the league. If that isn't squandering a goaltending gift, I don't know what is.
Heading into the 2024-2025 campaign, Hellebuyck is projected to have yet another fantastic season but it's unlikely the Jets will be able to ride that momentum to playoff success.
| POLL | ||
24 AOUT | 133 ANSWERS Connor Hellebuyck suffers from lackluster offseason Has Jets management missed adding support for Hellebuyck's best years? | ||
| YES | 88 | 66.2 % |
| NO | 45 | 33.8 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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