If you were Jarmo, what is the most you would part with in trade for Hellebuyck?

[K-9]

43 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The Sabres were in a similar position with Eichel,also a disgruntled player who was contractually bound for a number of years. He got dealt to Vegas where he won 🥇 a cup and has been in the playoffs every year since. When his career is over he will be inducted into the HOF. In hindsight was it a mistake to trade an elite player who was disgruntled but still contractually bound to the franchise? 

Eichel put the Sabres in an untenable position, so no, it wasn’t a mistake to deal him imo. What he did in Vegas after the fact had absolutely no bearing on the situation that led to his departure, except to those who deal in hindsight.

I don’t see much of a valid comparison between the Eichel and Hellebuyck situations, either. Eichel was a great player just entering his prime with many great seasons still ahead of him, whereas there is a better than zero chance that Helley’s best years are behind him at this stage of his career. 

[JohnC]

Just now, K-9 said:

Eichel put the Sabres in an untenable position, so no, it wasn’t a mistake to deal him imo. What he did in Vegas after the fact had absolutely no bearing on the situation that led to his departure, except to those who deal in hindsight.

I don’t see much of a valid comparison between the Eichel and Hellebuyck situations, either. Eichel was a great player just entering his prime with many great seasons still ahead of him, whereas there is a better than zero chance that Helley’s best years are behind him at this stage of his career. 

How did Eichel put the Sabres in an untenable position? There is no question that he wanted out after the organization decided to go on another rebuild. And there is no question that the surgery issue was another point of contention. On that issue regarding the type of surgery he should have, he was right. Again, he was contractually bound to the team for years. It was the organization's decision to trade him. They didn't have to do it. 

[K-9]

Just now, JohnC said:

How did Eichel put the Sabres in an untenable position? There is no question that he wanted out after the organization decided to go on another rebuild. And there is no question that the surgery issue was another point of contention. On that issue regarding the type of surgery he should have, he was right. Again, he was contractually bound to the team for years. It was the organization's decision to trade him. They didn't have to do it. 

He was beyond disgruntled and had been for a while, there was no chance to mend fences, and he had to go as a result. Untenable, like I said. You underestimate the power of the negative influence your best player can have in the room. 

And just to head this discussion off at the pass, I have ZERO interest in re-litigating the Eichel trade. It’s ancient history so consider me as having moved on here. 

[JohnC]

5 minutes ago, K-9 said:

He was beyond disgruntled and had been for a while, there was no chance to mend fences, and he had to go as a result. Untenable, like I said. You underestimate the power of the negative influence your best player can have in the room. 

And just to head this discussion off at the pass, I have ZERO interest in re-litigating the Eichel trade. It’s ancient history so consider me as having moved on here. 

This is my last post on the Eichel situation also. It shouldn’t be forgotten that he wasn’t the only player who wanted out. The lesson to be learned is that dysfunction is corrosive.

[K-9]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

This is my last post on the Eichel situation also. It shouldn’t be forgotten that he wasn’t the only player who wanted out. The lesson to be learned is that dysfunction is corrosive.

Exactly. Which is why Chevy, regardless of the fact the Jets have him under contract for several years, will be forced to let Hellebuyck go at some point. And every other GM in the league understands this basic principle as well. I suppose Helley could have a change of heart, but who knows how likely that is and now long that might take?

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, SabresFan69420 said:

I agree completely. UPL is extremely talented and is capable of stealing games but he also seems to be mentally pretty fragile or just unable to stay disciplined and that costs more games for sure than he’s stolen back 

That was true in the playoffs to be sure but not in 2 of the last 3 regular seasons.  Especially last RS he won a bunch of games for the Sabres and not as a passenger.

I want Helly but I’m not writing off UPL as a lost cause yet either.  

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

That was true in the playoffs to be sure but not in 2 of the last 3 regular seasons.  Especially last RS he won a bunch of games for the Sabres and not as a passenger.

I want Helly but I’m not writing off UPL as a lost cause yet either.  

That's what stinks about having him as the nominal #1.  He's 27 and he still may take a step up or may forever be the guy that folds under pressure.  By 27 he should be a known commodity.  But he ain't.

[SabreFinn]

6 hours ago, SabresFan69420 said:

I agree completely. UPL is extremely talented and is capable of stealing games but he also seems to be mentally pretty fragile or just unable to stay disciplined and that costs more games for sure than he’s stolen back 

I am on the unable to stay disciplined line. Coming back from all the mistakes he has done, I would call a pretty tough mentality. One would think at his age he would have worked enough on the discipline to not do those, on the other hand, it seems he is getting better.

[SabresFan69420]

6 hours ago, SabreFinn said:

I am on the unable to stay disciplined line. Coming back from all the mistakes he has done, I would call a pretty tough mentality. One would think at his age he would have worked enough on the discipline to not do those, on the other hand, it seems he is getting better.

I’m pretty much exactly where you are. 

[That Aud Smell]

22 hours ago, dudacek said:

Lindy likes his pairs.

The first time I ever recall hearing about the concept of pairs when it comes to forward lines was from (or associated with) FSHC Don Granato.

[That Aud Smell]

i believe it’s possible UPL could quiet his mind such that he stays more steady and even.

I think it’s far more likely that he can’t/doesn’t and this is who he is — usually good, occasionally great, periodically porous.

Miller had his wtf wave.

UPL still has his 1st period fish flop maneuver - a reliable tell that the team will need 5+ goals to win that night (day).

[JP51]

On 8/31/2026 at 4:51 PM, Taro T said:

The price goes down UNLESS there are multiple teams bidding for the player's services.  GMs don't say in a vacuum that my offer will now get reduced to a bag of pucks and a shooter tutor because now a 7th round pick and the bag of pucks and the shooter tutor beats that offer.  If that GM wants him, now he needs to up it to a 6th rounder plus a bag of pucks and a shooter tutor.  But, a 3rd GM now steps in and offers a 5th rounder, a bag of pucks, a shooter tutor, and that cool chunk of bent aluminum that lets you pass the puck back to yourself.  So now the original GM ups his offer to a low level prospect, a 5th rounder, a bag of pucks, a shooter tutor, and that cool chunk fo bent aluminum that lets you pass the puck back to yourself.

This continues for a few iterations until the offer is a conditional 1st, Quinn/Östlund, Kleber/Mrtka, and Lyon/Ellis which is where we've pretty much been for the last 2 months.

If the player can and will limit his acceptable destinations to a single locale, yes, the price goes down.  It doesn't appear that Hellebucyk is dead set on ending up a Sabre unfortunately.

I dont disagree... it is called the "principle of least interest" he who has the least interest has the most power... the fact that a trade was demanded increases the interest of the seller for obvious reasons.... the presence of other parties in the fray clearly benefits the seller as the seller has less interest in dealing with one captive audience... the issue to me is that the asking price was too high... and apparently for everyone... unless they are playing the wait till the very end game ... if so all bets are off if the offers come in hot an heavy in a few days...  but i am not sure that is what is happening... I think that the market is going down for him net net because he is pretty much saying i am not gonna play here...  so I am with your offer of 1st, Quinn, Kleber/Mrtka one of our goalies and maybe a Zucker. Maybe i am wishful thinking but I would not like giving up Östlund and if i did I am taking Mrtka/Kleber off the table.. to me that is too much...  We shall see soon enough though... 

[Doohickie]

On 9/6/2026 at 8:46 PM, nfreeman said:

That was true in the playoffs to be sure but not in 2 of the last 3 regular seasons.  Especially last RS he won a bunch of games for the Sabres and not as a passenger.

I want Helly but I’m not writing off UPL as a lost cause yet either.  

I think it's important to remember that this past season was UPL's experience in the playoffs, and that the way goalies were handled in the playoffs (riding the hot hand until they failed) was different than in the regular season (a more steady rotation of healthy goalies).

If you want to worry about consistent inconsistency in the playoffs, take a look at Helly's postseason stats.

[PromoTheRobot]

"THE OFFERS WERE TERRIBLE!!!" Canadian media to the rescue.

 

[Dr. Who]

2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

"THE OFFERS WERE TERRIBLE!!!" Canadian media to the rescue.

 

Too bad. Chevy is never going to get close to what he could have at the draft.

[Shootica]

3 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

"THE OFFERS WERE TERRIBLE!!!" Canadian media to the rescue.

 

Dreger had been Chevy's media connection for years, so if he's reporting this it means this is the information the Jets want leaked.

Likewise, Chad's source is almost certainly feeding him the information that the Sabres want publicized.

The truth is somewhere in the middle.  I don't know about anyone else, but I really enjoy reading between the lines from them and other insiders to put puzzle pieces together.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, Shootica said:

Dreger had been Chevy's media connection for years, so if he's reporting this it means this is the information the Jets want leaked.

Likewise, Chad's source is almost certainly feeding him the information that the Sabres want publicized.

The truth is somewhere in the middle.  I don't know about anyone else, but I really enjoy reading between the lines from them and other insiders to put puzzle pieces together.

Obviously Cheveldayoff wants Jets fans to think the offers were awful. It's the offers, not his mishandling of things.

[EM88]

If all of the offers were terrible, you have to wonder in the eyes of which party the definition of 'terrible' is?

I am not sure how many teams made offers. 3 teams? 4 teams? more than that?   If every team that made an offer was considered 'terrible' by the Jets, then maybe the collective wisdom of those teams is better than the wisdom Jets management, and the offers were more appropriate for who he is, considering his contract and age. 

It would seem more likely than not the Jets are looking at a player they signed through rose colored glasses.

[mjd1001]

4 minutes ago, EM88 said:

If all of the offers were terrible, you have to wonder in the eyes of which party the definition of 'terrible' is?

I am not sure how many teams made offers. 3 teams? 4 teams? more than that?   If every team that made an offer was considered 'terrible' by the Jets, then maybe the collective wisdom of those teams is better than the wisdom Jets management, and the offers were more appropriate for who he is, considering his contract and age. 

It would seem more likely than not the Jets are looking at a player they signed through rose colored glasses.

Yep.

A player is 'worth' what someone is willing to pay for them.  If you received more than one offer....in this case many several offers...and you think they are all too low....then it is you that are overvaluing your asset.

The market will usually dictate what something is worth...not the value you assigned to it when you are the seller.

[Shootica]

13 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Obviously Cheveldayoff wants Jets fans to think the offers were awful. It's the offers, not his mishandling of things.

Prep their fanbase for an underwhelming return, tell the other GMs that they need to do better, and indirectly counter the report that Chevy was negotiating in bad faith.

You knock out a few birds here if you're the Jets 

[Nacho Libre]

2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Yep.

A player is 'worth' what someone is willing to pay for them.  If you received more than one offer....in this case many several offers...and you think they are all too low....then it is you that are overvaluing your asset.

The market will usually dictate what something is worth...not the value you assigned to it when you are the seller.

The issue is that market value isn’t always congruent with actual value

draft picks frequently cost more than the value they amount to, just as one glaring example. The idea that Chevy is being low-balled because he’s seen to be operating from a position of weakness is definitely a possibility 

[mjd1001]

3 minutes ago, Nacho Libre said:

The issue is that market value isn’t always congruent with actual value

draft picks frequently cost more than the value they amount to, just as one glaring example. The idea that Chevy is being low-balled because he’s seen to be operating from a position of weakness is definitely a possibility 

Oh, I agree with that.

If he is viewed as operating from a position of weakness, I think he will be lowballed at the start.  But I think if he has patience, that becomes less of an issue.

Lets say that Buffalo, Utah, and Carolina all want him.  My guess is seeing the position Wpeg is in, they are going to give low ball offers at first to see if any of them are bitten on. But as time goes by, they might think less about 'getting over' on the Jets due to the bad position they are in...and rather start thinking something like "yeah, we want to get a good deal, but ultimately we are negotiating with the offer Utah and Carolina put on the table as much as we are with the Jets."

A team has to decide if they want a player. And the longer it goes, I think the less it becomes about the weakness of the position of the team you are dealing with, and more about making sure your offer is 'better' than everyone elses.  I think if Hellebuyck said openly he only wanted to be traded to the Sabres, then the Sabres can push Winnipeg up against the wall. But as long as he is willing to go to multiple teams, Wpeg can still negotiate one offer vs the other.

Edited September 14 by mjd1001

[Nacho Libre]

Just now, mjd1001 said:

Oh, I agree with that.

If he is viewed as operating from a position of weakness, I think he will be lowballed at the start.  But I think if he has patience, that becomes less of an issue.

Lets say that Buffalo, Utah, and Carolina all want him.  My guess is seeing the position Wpeg is in, they are going to give low ball offers at first to see if any of them are bitten on. But as time goes by, they might think less about 'getting over' on the Jets due to the bad position they are in...and rather start thinking something like "yeah, we want to get a good deal, but ultimately we are negotiating with the offer Utah and Carolina put on the table as much as we are with the Jets."

A team has to decide if they want a player. And the longer it goes, I think the less it becomes about the weakness of the position of the team you are dealing with, and more about making sure your offer is 'better' than everyone elses.

Agree. chevy being a bad GM who dropped the ball while a funny conversational point (and one I’m totally game for, I hate the jets) only technically aids us vs one team (the jets) and not the majority 

actually facilitating a good deal improves us Vs the field. So that’s what I’m rooting for, as funny as lambasting Chevy would be

I can’t believe he’s had a job this long tbh 

Edited September 14 by Nacho Libre

[Doohickie]

This is interesting stuff, but where are the chili recipes?

 

Seriously, I think Chevy missed his best offer because he didn't dare part with 8OA  If their target was a center, they could have picked Viggo Bjorck at 4OA; Rudolph may or may not have been available at 8OA.  I can understand why the swap of the two didn't look like much to Chevy, even taking that off the table he would have done better before the draft than he will now.

[Nacho Libre]

Should be kept in mind that jets need to be particularly careful with how they handle these types of requests. Always the push and pull of being an undesired market and what setting the precedent of too easily kowtowing to demands can lead to. The idea they could lose the battle with Hellebuyck but win the war of emphasizing what “being under contract” means is a non-negligible possibility. Of course, the changed political landscape has REDACTED