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One of the Blues' greatest foes is no longer in the Central

Connor Hellebuyck's the Metro's problem now.
ByJoe DeMarini
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May 2, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud (21) is unable to score past Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the second period in game six of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images
May 2, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud (21) is unable to score past Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the second period in game six of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At long last, we got the blockbuster trade we'd all been waiting for: Connor Hellebucyk has been traded from the Winnipeg Jets. He'll join the New Jersey Devils as new general manager Sunny Mehta tries to push the team into true Stanley Cup contender status.

Hellebuyck has a full No-Move Clause on his contract, so Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff did have limited options on where he could move the star netminder. Reportedly, Hellebuyck was more flexible with a potential landing spot than fellow Team USA gold medalist Dylan Larkin. Now the pressure is on the Minnesota Wild to extend Quinn Hughes before the opportunity for a USA reunion in New Jersey (and the ability to play with his brothers) becomes too enticing for the Norris-winning defenseman.

A benefactor of these potential moves? The St. Louis Blues (though it does take the Devils out of consideration for a Jordan Binnington trade).

Hellebuyck: Blues killer

During his 11 seasons with the Jets, Hellebuyck faced the Blues 27 times--and the Blues usually came out on the losing end of those matchups. Hellebuyck has an 18-7-2 record against the Blues, a .929 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.99 Goals Against Average (GAA); the only team he's put up better numbers against in both categories is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Maybe he just doesn't like teams with the word "blue" in their name?

Regardless, this gives the Blues an opening in a competitive Central Division. Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson have been fine with the Jets (and one figures newcomer Nico Daws will supplant Stevenson as Skinner's backup), but the Jets aren't quite the powerhouse team they were a couple of years ago. Adding Dawson Mercer and former Blue Nick Bjugstad may give them some better depth up front, but they're still an aging team with a limited ceiling. That opens up a path for the Blues to jump the Jets in the standings as the season progresses--and they won't have to deal with a Vezina-winner to do it.

Other impacts in the Central

The other big impact is the one we mentioned at the start: Quinn Hughes. The Devils are putting together a team that will be hard for Hughes to resist, and it'll come at the detriment of another Blues division rival, the Minnesota Wild. If the Wild are forced to trade Hughes (rather than keeping him as an own-rental and letting him walk in free agency next summer), the Wild's Cup aspirations drop considerably, again opening the door for the Blues to make a run at a division playoff spot.

The Blues have been creeping up the standings; they're 5-4-1 now and tied for fourth in the division with 11 points. If any other major shakeups come along (eyes on the Colorado Avalanche as they slip down the standings), it could be a boon for the Blues to stay the course and sneak into the playoffs in the spring.

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