Panthers Can Still Land Connor Hellebuyck After Brady Tkachuk Trade

After the Florida Panthers shockingly acquired left winger Brady Tkachuk, the hockey world is left wondering what’s next or how the team could possibly do anything else of consequence. There is, in fact, a path not just for the Panthers to make another acquisition and improve their team, but perhaps a seismic one: securing who many deem to be the best goalie in the NHL, Connor Hellebuyck, from the Winnipeg Jets.

There’s a variety of avenues and assets the Panthers have to potentially pull off another blockbuster, this time with the Jets for the American goaltender. Given the team’s limited cap situation, it would most likely require at least one roster player or potentially two.

Evan Rodrigues

Evan Rodrigues has played center at a productive level throughout various stops in his NHL career, and he could be the common ground piece that lets the Jets get a center and a player the Panthers are more comfortable moving on from. Given the Jets’ hole at second-line center, he could be a potential fit as a piece in a larger package.

Throughout his career, Rodrigues has had 15 or more goals three times and has been used more as a depth piece, but could elevate his production in a larger role. He has also recorded 20 or more assists in five separate seasons at various stops throughout his NHL career, including with the Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Colorado Avalanche.

Given the Panthers’ current roster construction, Rodrigues seems to be the odd man out. Along with his $3 million-plus salary and positional flexibility to play center, it makes sense he’d be one of the pieces heading back to Winnipeg in return for Hellebuyck.

Jesper Boqvist

The second potential center who could be on the move is Jesper Boqvist. He’s played primarily in the Panthers’ bottom six and more often on their fourth line. He’s had three seasons of 10-plus goals, including the Panthers’ 2024-25 season, when they went on to win the Stanley Cup. He has also had three seasons with 10 or more assists throughout his NHL career, twice with the New Jersey Devils and once with the Panthers. He has a $1.5 million average annual value with one year remaining on his contract, which could make him a potential fit as a depth piece for Winnipeg, but not likely a key piece in the return. 

Carter Verhaeghe

Another potential veteran piece on the move from Florida, primarily from a cap perspective, is left winger/center, Carter Verhaeghe. He makes the most money amongst all players on this list, at $7 million per year for six more seasons. Realistically, the biggest hurdle to Verhaeghe being sent to Winnipeg would be his no-movement clause, which could very well include Winnipeg on the list of places he wouldn’t want to go.

Since arriving in Florida as a full-time contributor, Verhaeghe has had 20 or more goals in all his seasons of 70 or more games. His career high in South Florida was 42 goals in 2022-23. He has also been a productive playmaker, recording 30-plus assists in all his Panthers seasons of 70 or more games, with a peak of 38.

Anton Lundell

The most appealing trade piece the Jets could acquire from the Panthers to address their team’s needs would be Anton Lundell. He is a 24-year-old center who has had 12 or more goals in each of his five NHL seasons, and three of those have been 15 or more. He has also registered 20 or more assists in each of his NHL campaigns, and this type of production in what has been more of a bottom-six or middle-six role could lead to a breakout with more opportunities.

He is probably the number one priority player to try to acquire from the Jets’ perspective. However, according to various reports, the Panthers were adamantly unwilling to include him in a move to acquire Tkachuk, and the logical assumption would be the same response in a move for Hellebuyck.

Draft Picks

The Panthers, not having a first-round pick from now until 2029, may seem like a bit of an obstacle to making a Hellebuyck deal, but they still have a lot of flexibility with their remaining draft picks. Should they make this deal prior to Saturday’s second round, they have two picks, their own and one via the Capitals. They also have a second-round pick in 2027, which ends up being the higher of Winnipeg’s second or the Blue Jackets’ second.

It could certainly add another appealing layer for the Jets to have a chance at reacquiring and retaining their second-round pick. They also have the flexibility to potentially move seconds in 2028 and 2029 should they choose. The other pick potentially available in the 2026 Draft that could come to the Jets is a fourth-round pick by way of the Chicago Blackhawks. This pick, with the immediacy of the selection and the spot in the order, could appeal to the Jets.

Throughout the Panthers organization, they also have a variety of young players who are either NHL-ready, near-NHL-ready, or played key roles on their American Hockey League (AHL) roster.

Sandis Vilmanis

Perhaps one piece coming from Florida over to Winnipeg is a guy who spent some time with both the Panthers and Charlotte Checkers, 22-year-old Latvian left winger, Sandis Vilmanis. He played 19 games for the Panthers this season and had three goals and two assists. On top of that, he played 48 games in the AHL and contributed 17 goals and 21 assists. He also made an appearance for Team Latvia at the 2026 Olympics.

Jack Devine

Another potential name the Jets could target is right winger Jack Devine, who is 22 years old and appeared in six games this season. He also appeared in 63 AHL games, scoring 18 goals and 25 assists. He will be on a contract making $930,000 next season before becoming a restricted free agent, which the Jets would control for the next number of seasons before hitting unrestricted free agency, giving them certainty on a young player. He has two years remaining on his contract, making just under a million, and, with his age, potential, and cost-controlled nature, he could be an appealing fit for the Jets.

Linus Eriksson

Another younger prospect option would be two second-round selections who are centers. The first being Linus Eriksson, who was picked 58th in the 2024 Draft and has been playing in Sweden. He is projected to make his way to North America to contribute as an NHL hopeful. He’s been most productive in the Swedish junior leagues, where he’s playing against his peers rather than grown men. He has also been part of the last two Swedish World Junior teams, where he has three goals and one assist in 14 games.

Gracyn Sawchyn

The other is Gracyn Sawchyn, who was the 62nd pick in the 2023 Draft. He is also a center who played in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he had a productive career. This past season began his professional career in the AHL, where he had six goals and 17 assists in 35 games for the Checkers. He is closer to his NHL career and could be a good fit for the Jets.

Potential Trade Package

Despite not having what some deem premium assets, the Panthers still have a lot of flexibility to pull off a Hellebuyck trade. Given all the options they have, I predict Bill Zito makes a deal that has Rodrigues, Vilmanis, and Sawchyn as the players involved. It could also potentially include some draft picks, including one of the two 2026 second-round picks and one in 2027. The additional piece could be a fourth-round pick in this draft that belonged to the Blackhawks, all in exchange for the US Olympic goaltender.