Connor Hellebuyck’s Devils Debut Could Add a New Test for the Avalanche

Connor Hellebuyck’s arrival in New Jersey could turn the Avalanche’s Wednesday matchup with the Devils into an early test of how quickly the veteran goalie can settle into a new crease. The schedule gives New Jersey a decision to make: Hellebuyck’s first game could come Tuesday in Dallas, against Colorado the following night, or later.

The Avalanche play Tampa Bay on Friday, but the Devils game is drawing attention for a different reason. Hellebuyck, whose expected departure from Winnipeg had been a major storyline, has been dealt to New Jersey. Colorado had been discussed as a possible destination, though the Avalanche may not have had the assets to put together a winning offer, as one report on Colorado’s chances suggested.

New Jersey’s choice in net

The Devils visit Dallas on Tuesday and travel to Colorado for Wednesday’s game. Starting Hellebuyck in both games would mean asking him to play on consecutive nights immediately after changing teams. The other option is to give him a day to get acquainted with his new teammates and make his first start against the Avalanche.

That choice will say something about New Jersey’s priorities and how ready the staff believes Hellebuyck is. He knows both opponents from his time in Winnipeg, when Dallas and Colorado were in his division. But familiarity with the teams doesn’t answer the practical questions: how quickly he can build a working rhythm with the Devils’ defense, and whether the club wants to manage his first appearance carefully.

My read is that the back-to-back makes the Colorado game a real possibility. The Avalanche are a serious Central Division opponent, and Hellebuyck has a substantial history against them. Still, the schedule alone can’t tell us which game New Jersey will choose. Until the Devils confirm their starter, the matchup remains a possibility rather than a guaranteed Hellebuyck debut.

The return Winnipeg accepted

Hockey reporter Elliotte Friedman reported that Winnipeg received Mercer, Command, Daws and Bjugstad, along with a second-round pick in 2029 and a seventh-round pick in 2027. The package gives the Jets several players and two future selections, but the source provides no contract or cap details, and the players’ roles with Winnipeg are not established here.

None of the return is described as a sure thing at the NHL level. That makes the deal’s long-term value difficult to judge: prospects and draft picks can develop into important pieces, but their eventual impact is uncertain. The source characterizes the return as below what some expected for a starting goalie of Hellebuyck’s standing. For Colorado, the immediate point is that New Jersey acquired him without sending Nico Hischier or Timo Meier to Winnipeg.

That detail matters to the Avalanche because the Devils’ roster still includes those high-end forwards. Had either been part of the deal, the trade would have reshaped New Jersey’s lineup as well as its goaltending. Instead, the Devils add a proven starter while retaining those prominent pieces, a combination that could make them a more difficult opponent if Hellebuyck adjusts quickly.

A familiar opponent, a changed setting

Hellebuyck has a 13-10-2 record in his last 25 games against Colorado. That history gives the Avalanche a useful point of reference, but it doesn’t settle what will happen in this meeting. He’ll be facing them in a different uniform and behind a new group of defensemen, with little time between the trade and the possible matchup.

New Jersey had been using Jake Allen, whose season line in the source is a 4-2 record, 3.15 goals allowed per game and an .883 save percentage across six appearances. Those figures offer a snapshot of the goalie situation, not a complete forecast of how the Devils will fare against Colorado. Hellebuyck’s presence would change the matchup, but the transition to a new club adds uncertainty of its own.

For the Avalanche, the practical question is whether they’ll face Allen or Hellebuyck, and how much time either goalie has had to prepare. For New Jersey, this is an early chance to see what its major addition can bring against two familiar Western opponents. The Wednesday game has gained stakes before either team takes the ice: the Devils’ starting choice will reveal how quickly they expect Hellebuyck to fit in.