Connor Hellebuyck situation draws trade talk, but injury clouds fantasy outlook

Fantasy hockey: Hellebuyck is on injured reserve with no return date, making him unplayable until activated despite trade speculation.

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · October 18, 2026

Connor Hellebuyck is the subject of early trade discussions, according to Elliotte Friedman's Saturday Headlines on Sportsnet. The Winnipeg netminder remains on injured reserve with no return date.

For fantasy purposes, the speculation changes nothing until Hellebuyck is activated. He cannot play while on injured reserve, and his recent save quality grades (67 out of 100 among goalies in goals saved above expected and high-danger saves) suggest middling results when he does return.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

Connor Hellebuyck

Hellebuyck is on injured reserve with no return date, making him unplayable in fantasy lineups regardless of trade talk. His recent averages show a 2.43 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and a dominant 92% start share across 166 games, but those numbers mean nothing while he is sidelined. The Jets have three games remaining this week (Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday), and Hellebuyck will miss all of them.

His save quality grades rank 67 out of 100 among goalies in goals saved above expected and high-danger saves, which points to merely average performance when he does return. Whether he returns to Winnipeg or lands with a new club through a trade, the first step is activation from injured reserve. Until that happens, he belongs on the bench in all formats.

What to do

• Bench Hellebuyck until he is activated from injured reserve.

• Monitor injury reports for his return date before making any roster decisions.

• Do not count on Hellebuyck for Winnipeg's three remaining games this week.

Schedule this week