The Winnipeg Jets have announced that goalie Connor Hellebuyck is set to miss significant time due to a knee injury. The setback, according to the Athletic, will keep the reigning NHL MVP out of action for four to six weeks. If Hellebuyck’s return is closer to the latter figure, he could miss up to 20 Jets games. The netminder is scheduled to have surgery to fix the issue on November 22.
This will be the first time in Hellebuyck’s illustrious career that he will miss time due to an injury. The veteran previously missed matchups because of illness and personal reasons, but never a true injury. Hellebuyck has featured in over 600 regular-season and playoff games for the Jets.
While losing your best player is less than ideal, the timing of Hellebuyck’s surgery is far from a worst-case scenario for Winnipeg. Because the season has only just started in October, there is plenty of time for the superstar to return and make an impact on the majority of the 2025-26 season. Hellebuyck could also be relatively refreshed for the playoffs, assuming the Jets qualify, of course.
Added Rest May Give Connor Hellebuyck Edge in Playoffs
GettyConnor Hellebuyck has looked exhausted in the playoffs for the Winnipeg Jets.
Hellebuyck has undoubtedly been one of the top goalies in the NHL for years now. Nevertheless, he has suffered in the playoffs throughout his career. For instance, he has averaged a 2.56 GAA and a save rate of .918% during the regular season for over a decade. His season stats have helped earn him four All-Star appearances, three Vezina trophies, and the aforementioned MVP award.
These impressive stats, however, have drastically fallen off for Hellebuyck come playoff time. In the last three combined postseasons, the star netminder has recorded a 3.52 GAA and a save rate of just .870%. This includes allowing 39 goals in 13 Jets games throughout the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Some of Hellebuyck’s poor performances in the playoffs have been attributed to his team’s over-reliance on him in the regular season. The star has played at least 60 matchups in each of the last four years. He has led all NHL goalies in games played in five of nine seasons since he became a mainstay with the Jets.
The extra rest while recovering from the recent knee injury could be beneficial in the long run. Hellebuyck will now be able to receive some much-needed time away from the ice and be fully ready come playoff time.
Team USA Should Have Starting Goalie Ready for the Olympics
Not only does the recovery timeline help Hellebuyck recover in time for the playoffs, but he will be good to go for the Olympics. Assuming everything goes as planned, the goalie should return to the ice by the end of the calendar year.
He would then have plenty of time to be ready for the upcoming Olympic tournament. The games in Italy are scheduled to start in February. Hellebuyck is expected to be the starting goaltender for Team USA.
Looking ahead, Winnipeg will now lean on Eric Comrie between the pipes. The veteran, currently in his third stint with the Jets, has been impressive to start the 2025-26 season. In fact, his key statistics during the campaign have only narrowly been topped by Hellebuyck. Winnipeg has also recalled goalie Thomas Milic, 22, in place of the MVP winner.
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