After landing Brady Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers' next move could reshape the goaltender market.

On Tuesday, the NHL journalist Marco D'Amico reported that there are discussions around a potential Hellebuyck trade and that it is gaining a good amount of traction with the Panthers remaining involved.

D'Amico posted an update on X around this speculation.

“Some traction on Connor Hellebuyck trade talks, D'Amico wrote. "Florida still looking into this as of now."

Florida got on the headlines when they acquired Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. This is one of the biggest moves this offseason. The Panthers continue to be linked to elite players, showing that they’re working on rebuilding their roster.

Hellebuyck is currently under contract with the Winnipeg Jets till the 2030-31 season. He holds an average annual value of $8.5 million and ranks among the league's highest for goalies.

He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and a former Hart Trophy recipient. 

It was reported that he requested a trade from Winnipeg about a month ago, which opened the door for other teams to acquire him.

For Florida, they currently have no goaltenders signed for next season, and they are now rebuilding their roster around the two Tkachuk brothers.

Hellebuyck would be a great addition to the same roster. 

Although they might have issues with their cap space, Florida's cap dropped to around $7 million after the Tkachuk trade. Reports indicate that the Panthers are exploring other options to go around these setbacks.

At $7M in cap space, Florida would need to move salary or use LTIR to absorb Hellebuyck's $8.5M hit.

Another Insider, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, also reported that Florida had "circled back on Hellebuyck," adding to D'Amico's words.

Neither the Panthers nor the Jets have confirmed any kind of these discussions; the situation is going to stay fluid for a while.

How the Tkachuk Trade Opened the Door for Hellebuyck

It all started when the Senators sent Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to Florida.

The Panthers got Tkachuk, who spent five seasons as the Senators' captain, in exchange for the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in 2029, and a second-round pick in 2027.

The trade reunited Brady with his brother Matthew in the same team and automatically boosted their position as a Stanley Cup contender. 

Brady scored 59 points in 60 regular-season games with Ottawa this past season. Panthers General Manager Bill Zito also praised him for his performance and for being a proven leader.

Brady had publicly announced his commitment towards Ottawa just a few weeks before this trade. 

Florida lost multiple premium picks in this trade; this is why any potential acquisition, including Hellebuyck, too, would require a lot of work. 

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Koushik Biswas