AS I SEE IT COLUMN: The ongoing humiliation of Connor Hellebuyck

At press time Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was (a) still a no-show, (b) still choosing to go back on his word with the contractual promise he made to Jets fans and the organization by signing a long-term contract and (c) still turning his back on his teammates.

You know what else is still happening?

NHL general managers are still not making any decent offers to the Jets to acquire Hellebuyck.

What does that absence of a good trade offer mean?

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to connect the dots: Clearly the other teams in the NHL don’t think he’s the “best goalie in the world,” as many people in Manitoba laughably call a goaltender who has routinely broken hearts with his inconsistent play in the postseason after stellar play in the regular season.

In any other sport, when the best quarterback or pitcher or hitter or shortstop or receiver becomes available, other teams will move quickly, decisively and do whatever it takes to sign that best position player in their sport. The “best” never languish, waiting to be signed.

In baseball, football, soccer and basketball, owners always move heaven and earth to sign that “best” player. The fact that other NHL teams aren’t enticing the Jets with all kinds of sweet offers, speaks volumes about what the other teams in the league really think about Hellebuyck.

‘Not much’ is the only rational conclusion.

If other GMs around the league truly thought Hellebuyck was the best goalie in the world, one of them would have already acquired him. The fact that none have made a deal for Connor makes it abundantly clear all the other teams in the league don’t think he is the best netminder on the planet. The NHL GMs know he’s a good goalie – sometimes even great in the regular season – but they also know he chronically chokes in the playoffs.

And that’s precisely why the Jets have not had a deluge of trade offers. Teams don’t want to trade a whole bunch of assets for a goalie who, history has shown over and over, does not play well in the post-season.

Hellebuyck’s embarrassing nightmare goes well beyond the conspicuous lack of interest shown by other NHL teams. His humiliation is evident on four other fronts.

FANS – Jets fans appear to have moved on from Hellebuyck, chanting “Stuuuuu” every time newly acquired goaltender Stu Skinner makes a stop. Many fans – if not most of them – feel hurt by the way Hellebuyck has selfishly turned against his teammates and fan base. They like that Skinner is excited to play in Winnipeg.

MEDIA – The local establishment media, guilty of inflating Hellebuyck’s ego instead of asking him legitimate questions like “Why are you so dominant in the regular season and frequently so bad in the playoffs?”, are increasingly done with Hellebuyck’s prima donna American entitlement. The way they talk about him now and the way they gush about Skinner seems to indicate that like the vast majority of Jets fans, many in the media see Hellebuyck in an entirely new light and they are not impressed; they are repulsed. One high-profile national commentator called Hellebuyck a “cry-baby” over the weekend.

GENERAL MANAGERS – The fact that GMs around the league aren’t breaking down the doors at the Jets office to sign Hellebuyck says everything you need to know about what they really think of Hellebuyck’s skill level. Eventually one team will make a deal, but the fact no team appears to be in any rush to get Hellebuyck is perhaps the biggest, most glaring indictment on how his level of goaltending is truly perceived around the league.

HIS TEAMMATES – If one analyzes quotes by Jets players, many of them are taking indirect shots at Hellebuyck. When they talk about honouring their contracts or talk about the good feeling in the dressing room, make no mistake: those are not-so-subtle shots at Hellebuyck for going back on his word and abandoning his team.

Take any one of those above categories individually, and it’s a damning indictment against Hellebuyck the player and the person.

Put them all together and the utter humiliation of Connor Hellebuyck grows with each passing day.