Hellebuyck Predictions

[stevegamer]

17 games, I am figuring one of the top two gets hurt, and he gets enough chances to play as the starter ahead of the other one.

[The Hockey Hitman]

How many starts in WPG will he get this upcoming season?

Seventeen

[chuckcouples]

I think Hellebuyck starts the year as the back up but is the #1 by December. He starts 51 games for the Winnipeg Jets during this season.

Hutchinson can easily be exposed to waivers during training camp with little chance of being claimed. If Jacob Markstrom went through waivers two seasons ago, then there should be no problem with Hutchinson going through. There are going to be lots of back up goalies on waivers during training camps. Here is a list of #3 goalies that would have to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL. Where do you think Hutchinson fits on this list?

Dustin Tokarski
Justin Peters
Jeremy Smith
Jared Coreau
Reto Berra
Jack Campbell and Peter Budaj
Alex Stalock
Mike Condon
Scott Wedgewood or Keith Kinkaid
Magnus Hellberg
JF Berube
Aaron Dell or Troy Grosenick
Richard Bachman
Joe Cannata
Michael Hutchinson

[als_revenge]

I think Hellebuyck starts the year as the back up but is the #1 by December. He starts 51 games for the Winnipeg Jets during this season.

Hutchinson can easily be exposed to waivers during training camp with little chance of being claimed. If Jacob Markstrom went through waivers two seasons ago, then there should be no problem with Hutchinson going through. There are going to be lots of back up goalies on waivers during training camps. Here is a list of #3 goalies that would have to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL. Where do you think Hutchinson fits on this list?

Dustin Tokarski
Justin Peters
Jeremy Smith
Jared Coreau
Reto Berra
Jack Campbell and Peter Budaj
Alex Stalock
Mike Condon
Scott Wedgewood or Keith Kinkaid
Magnus Hellberg
JF Berube
Aaron Dell or Troy Grosenick
Richard Bachman
Joe Cannata
Michael Hutchinson

If Hutchinson was claimed, then the Jets would have to scramble to find another goalie that is under contract. Otherwise, they'd have to expose Hellebuyck in the expansion draft. Pavelec will be UFA at the end of the year, so Hutchinson is what they have to expose. I think the expansion draft is why Hutch got that two year deal, and why he'll be on the roster this year.

[Ianclark5525]

Ya i think Helley will only get a start if someone goes on IR then they would have room to bring him up. but until then we sit and wait

[Irriducibile11]

How many starts in WPG will he get this upcoming season?

That's completely impossible to tell because it depends on the health of their first two goalies.

If neither of them misses games, 0 starts.
If one of them misses roughly 10 games, 7 starts.
If one of them misses 82 games, roughly 50 starts.

But how are we supposed to predict health?

[Irriducibile11]

If Hutchinson was claimed, then the Jets would have to scramble to find another goalie that is under contract. Otherwise, they'd have to expose Hellebuyck in the expansion draft. Pavelec will be UFA at the end of the year, so Hutchinson is what they have to expose. I think the expansion draft is why Hutch got that two year deal, and why he'll be on the roster this year.

Exactly. Same reason why Zatkoff got 2 years in LA.

No way they're waiving Hutch, no matter how small the chance of being claimed is (and someone like Toronto, Nashville or San Jose would definitely do it).

[Sulla]

I wonder if Hutch has a bounce back - he posted some nice numbers a couple of seasons ago - or if last year's version is what he really is

[Eskimo Brother]

I wonder if Hutch has a bounce back - he posted some nice numbers a couple of seasons ago - or if last year's version is what he really is

He posted some nice numbers as a rookie, and then I think NHL teams got the book on him and focused on his holes. He can probably pick it back up a touch, but I don't see him getting past the level of "decent backup" anymore.

[Sulla]

Agree but I wonder if the situation he is in in the 'Peg actually means he carries more value than your stereotypical back up

[chuckcouples]

Exactly. Same reason why Zatkoff got 2 years in LA.

No way they're waiving Hutch, no matter how small the chance of being claimed is (and someone like Toronto, Nashville or San Jose would definitely do it).

If San Jose claimed him on waivers, they would have to waive both Aaron Dell and Troy Grosenick who are likely just as good as Hutchinson. If Toronto or Nashville claimed him, then the Jets could easily claim one of the other goalies that will be on waivers this season or sign one of the UFAs that are still available (Ramo, Enroth,Lindback, Poulin, Emery, Ortio, McCollum, Desjardins, Leighton, etc). I am predicting a lot of teams place their 3rd string goalie on waivers as soon as training camps start exactly for this reason.

[als_revenge]

If San Jose claimed him on waivers, they would have to waive both Aaron Dell and Troy Grosenick who are likely just as good as Hutchinson. If Toronto or Nashville claimed him, then the Jets could easily claim one of the other goalies that will be on waivers this season or sign one of the UFAs that are still available (Ramo, Enroth,Lindback, Poulin, Emery, Ortio, McCollum, Desjardins, Leighton, etc). I am predicting a lot of teams place their 3rd string goalie on waivers as soon as training camps start exactly for this reason.

Unless you think Winnipeg carries 3 goalies all year, I just don't see Hellebuyck getting much time. Pavelec isn't getting bought out and I don't see anyone trading for that contract. And then need another goalie on the team that qualifies for the expansion draft.

[Sulla]

Unless you think Winnipeg carries 3 goalies all year, I just don't see Hellebuyck getting much time. Pavelec isn't getting bought out and I don't see anyone trading for that contract. And then need another goalie on the team that qualifies for the expansion draft.

which is what happened with the Isles and Berube...

[Chico Resch]

Here's Chico's take...


I think that the brass realize what they don't have in Hutch and Pavs.

I also think that, barring getting pummeled by injury like last year, they compete for the playoffs. The two aforementioned goalies won't help that goal.

Hutch's salary isn't absurd, and they can send him down to spend time with Comrie.

Eventually this year, it works out to be Hellebuyck/Pavelec. They try to trade Pavs, and they take pretty much nothing to get rid of him. I'm sure they'd eat some salary as well. If no one does, he becomes unprotected for Vegas, and I don't even think theyd want him.

If they're doing anything this year, Hellebuyck is the guy.

[markpiel]

Management knows the team has to push harder this season than last year. Expecting Pavs and Hutch to be a tandem that makes that push is just silly. Rolling those two in net will also mean burning another year off of Little, Wheeler, and Byfuglien with little to show for it.

Hellebuyck will play around 30 games this season. The only way he plays less is if he's injured or the end of January arrives and the Jets are not likely to make the playoffs.