The Devils just ROBBED the NHL...

The Devils just robbed the NHL, it's over, the Connor Hellebuyck sweepstakes no longer exist because a general manager 6 months into his tenure decided to make the biggest trade in franchise history. Welcome in Devil fans, glad to have you here today, actually extra glad, uh look, I've never been more excited to make a video than I am today, so if you haven't already, please go ahead hit the subscribe button likes don't hurt too much either and this certainly won't hurt the New Jersey Devils are acquiring Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets for Dawson Mercer Alexander Kuzmenko, Nick Bjugstad, Nico Dawes, a 2029 second round pick and a 2027 seventh round pick so Connor Hellebuyck is officially a New Jersey Devil and let's think about how we got here okay because this has been going on for a while you know Connor Hellebuyck said it himself we've been trying to get a trade done uh you know it's been months now and he came up with a message and things were starting to get a little ugly and then they got uglier all of a sudden it's well you know we've been trying to make a trade so he sends out a note and when there's still nothing going on he just says i'm not gonna play and that's exactly what he did he's not played a game yet for Winnipeg this season and all of a sudden things are looking you know a little bit dim a little bit gloomy so how do you make things sunny well sunny man got on the phone and Acquired Connor Hellebuyck to make him a New Jersey Devil. And, you know, you think about this trade and, you know, with Connor Hellebuyck wanting out. I mean, I just said it yesterday. You know, the Dylan Larkin situation, a little bit different. You know, Detroit doesn't feel as pressured. You know, Winnipeg, well, they need to do something. And they do something. They trade him to New Jersey. And why is this trade so big? Because I said it earlier in the video that this is the biggest trade in franchise history. And I understand, you know, trading for guys like Gallagher, McIlvney, Ilya Kovalchuk, Taylor Hall, I mean, Hall of Famers. But when you think about this trade and those trades, in comparison, what were they doing beforehand? Because let's take a look at Connor Hellebuyck's resume. So, Connor Hellebuyck has won three Vezinas, a Hart Trophy, and a William M. Jennings Trophy. Oh, and he got a gold medal back in February. So, let's compare this. How many goaltenders have won a Hart Trophy? The answer is eight. And you can put names out there like Dominik Hasek, Carey Price. You know, Hall of Fame goaltenders are soon to be Hall of Fame goaltenders. now how many goaltenders have won three Vezina the answer is 11 and in the past 40 years the answer is four and who are those other three players because you know what those names might ring a bell guys like Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy how about this one Martin Brodeur the fourth one is Connor Hellebuyck so Connor Hellebuyck has put himself into elite company I mean this is another first ball hall of famer we're talking about he's got his Vezinas, a Hart Trophy, a gold medal um it's one of the best goaltenders we've seen play in the NHL definitely the best american goaltender we've seen so what should we expect from Connor Hellebuyck well i'm going to take off last year because last year i feel like it was an outlier so let's go to the year prior to what he was doing well the year prior Connor Hellebuyck got his way to another Vezina he was number one in goal save above expected so he's number one in 2024-2025 where did he rank the year prior oh he ranked number one again what did he do the year prior to that he was top five so you think about this for a second how many goaltenders have been top five the past three seasons and goal save above expected what name do you keep seeing up here there it's Connor Hellebuyck because he's the only one to do it so far so with Connor Hellebuyck bringing him over to New Jersey you get your elite goaltender you get your star player um you know you had a situation in the offseason where you're kind of going to test this experiment you know people are talking about maybe going with a three-way tandem a two-team you know Nico Dawes Jake Allen they were you know pretty much the tandem so far I mean we're only 10 games into the season but 10 games isn't enough to realize it wasn't going to work you know Sonny Mehta it's funny because during the offseason he's always being asked you know what's your thing against goaltenders why are you not acquiring one go and acquire one you know the team has had you know a great goaltender since Corey Schneider which was also a trade and the amount of times you see goaltenders like that even being traded it's very rare they don't make their way to free agency they don't get traded you basically have to go in and draft them I mean you think about the Rangers and Islanders Sorokin Shesterkin drafted Nashville Sorokin drafted you know you pretty much have to draft goaltenders but Sonny Mehta does come from an organization that traded that went out and signed Sergey Bobrovsky and what did that do for them well two Stanley Cups so it's clear that goaltenders like this like a Connor Hellebuyck the rarity that they become available without the draft is very low they don't become available and what Sonny Mehta saw here whether you know he was holding his hips close to him whether he wanted to see this experiment through 10 games in the season he said pull the trigger we're gonna go get Connor Hellebuyck and media was asking him you know why did you want to go get a goaltender and you know do you not like goaltenders well he put that to bed he put that to bed really quick he goes out he gets a future first ballot hall of famer decorated goaltender and for what he gave up I mean you're thinking about this trade and you know overall I think it would have been tough to make me upset once he said we traded for Connor Hellebuyck on what was going back in return to Winnipeg he gave up a 20 goal scorer who you know career year 2022-2023 he gave up a first round pick that he drafted you know five months ago he's a Nick Bukstad who was just acquired by the Devils last season he's injured Nico Dawes who really I mean never even really became the backup I mean if you want to count this year a full 10 games and he gave up a 2029 second round pick a 2027 seventh round pick look there's no first round pick here outside of Alexander Kuman, who they drafted, you know, a few months back. It's not that the Devils necessarily got worse anywhere. The Devils didn't really give up roster players. They didn't have to give up a first round pick. And they are getting back one of the best goaltenders since he's been in the NHL. A top 10 goaltender of all time. I mean, you just read off the awards, the accomplishments. You know, maybe it wasn't great last year. Well, you know what? Gold medal. One of the best performances we've seen in Olympic hockey history in a gold medal game. I mean, you put all those things together and what you gave up was a 20 goal scorer who, you know, has struggled past year two to, you know, advance that next stage. Your first round pick this year, Nick Bukstad, Nico Dawes, you know, no more first round pick, second round pick, seventh round pick, and they're spread out. I mean, this is just masterful work by Sonny Mehta. He goes out, he sees that, well, you know what? There might be an issue here, and I'm a high roller. I mean, because that's what he did here. He doesn't just kind of fix it. He doesn't just tweak it. He does the first thing that the general manager by the name of Lou Lamorello did. He goes and addresses it, and addresses it in a big way. Lou Lamorello drafts Martin Brodeur. Lou Lamorello trades for Corey Schneider. Sunny Mehta has now traded for Connor Hellebuyck, I mean you look at this, it's great work by Sunny Mehta, it's phenomenal work. You go, you get your goaltender, I mean we can look, go ahead talk about contract, talk about age. Look, he's 33 years old, um I know I'm hesitant for players over 30, how is it going to go, you know, long term or coming up, is he gonna be able to stay at that same pace future first-ballot Hall of Famers play by different rules, they just do, and we saw you take out last year where he won a gold medal and you look at the past three years, he's been the best goaltender in the NHL, it's as simple as that, he's been the best goaltender in the NHL, um, when he dropped off a little bit or didn't have as good of a season well the Jets went from winning a Presidents' Trophy to missing the playoffs completely so to show in terms of impact, uh, the Devils have a lot of impact right now, and I mean I couldn't be more excited, you know when is he gonna make his first start, uh, you know he didn't have a training camp, he might go on a conditioning stint, we'll wait and see, I wouldn't be surprised about that, but uh when Connor Hellebuyck does make a start, uh, we will get video out there and just very excited, let me know what you think down the comments this trade uh i'm sure you're excited too let me know what you think down the comments thanks for tuning in today guys and i will see you all really soon