I'd go with succinct.
There isn't any comparison to be made to the Dubois trade because he was a pending RFA and the trade was contingent on him signing long-term with the Kings.
Hellebuyck and Scheifele are going to be UFAs after next season, and so I see only two scenarios where they aren't Jets for the 2024-25 season: traded as rentals for prospects/picks at the deadline to a team in the playoff picture should the Jets not be in it, or signed elsewhere on July 1st, 2024 and the Jets get nothing in return.
Your disdain for the latter has been well documented on this forum, so I'll just leave it at this: Scheifele is currently the team's best centre by a wide margin. Considering no teams have come forward with any tangible interest in trading for him, re-signing him seems like the right play depending on the money and term.
As for Hellebuyck, it's a similar situation in that no teams have expressed interest in a trade. Also, he's far and away the team's best netminder, one of the best in the league, and arguably the biggest contributor to the Jets' success the last handful of seasons. Maybe that isn't saying much but this team is markedly worse without him between the pipes. Trying to retain his services at the right term and price seems prudent until his replacement materializes.
Your trade ideas for two pending UFAs don't really lend themselves to reality in today's NHL.
"No team has come looking to trade for.." is something we don't know.
A: There could have been trades floated, just not what Chevy wants.
B: With both players being exceptionally high grade, isn't it strange no one is knocking down the door to get these pieces they can build around? If signing in Winnipeg will take x+ vs. x to sign with another team, you'd think other teams would be more interested in them than we are...
You're right, we've gotten a lot of good mileage out of both players, truthfully, its not like they are assets with long futures ahead like Dubois (or Liane that we traded for Dubois) had. And sure, teams trading for 55 or 37 would be signing them to 5-8 year deals expecting to possibly buy out/trade the last few. But they both can help teams now, and could be pieces that make that last step to contender.
We aren't going to get a haul of current stars for either, but there should be trades available with some future prospects/picks. Is there a FA C out there that can bridge us a year of development?
I think the team has moved forward on many fronts, and it will be interesting to see what the new look team will be. Not sure how much different it could be without 55 or 37 or both, but it would be be way to allow a new group of leaders to take over.
No way Nate?s going anywhere.
2 years left at $6mil cap hit ($5mil cash), and a 10 team NTC, he's a hard one to find a dance partner to trade him away... and a buyout, well... maybe next year. Like Wheeler.
