NHL notebook: Jets goalie Hellebuyck signs six-year deal

[July 13, 2018]  The Winnipeg Jets announced the signing of restricted free agent goalie Connor Hellebuyck to a six-year, $37 million deal Thursday.

Hellebuyck had filed for salary arbitration last week after being tendered a qualifying offer by the Jets in June, but his July 27 hearing will no longer be needed.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a breakout 2017-18 season that saw him tie for the NHL lead in wins after posting a 44-11-9 record. He had a 2.36 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in 67 games (64 starts) and was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's top goaltender.

Hellebuyck continued his success into the postseason, where he had a 2.36 GAA and .922 save percentage in 17 games before the Jets fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.

--The Chicago Blackhawks traded forwards Marian Hossa and Vinnie Hinostroza, defenseman Jordan Oesterle and a third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft to the Arizona Coyotes for forwards Marcus Kruger and MacKenzie Entwistle, a pair of minor-leaguers and a fifth-round pick in 2019.

The trade appears to be more about gaining flexibility with the salary cap than the acquisitions for the Blackhawks. Hossa, 39, spent last season on long-term injured reserved and has been told he never will play again because of a skin disorder. Still, his contract has three years left and carries an annual cap hit of roughly $5.28 million.

Goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck of the U.S. in action. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

By sending his contract to Arizona, Chicago can regain that cap space. The Blackhawks now have more than $10 million they can use to sign the three or four players they need to fill out their roster, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

--The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed restricted free agent defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to a three-year, $6.4 million contract extension, the team announced. The two sides will avoid an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 28.

Oleksiak, 25, made just less than $1 million last season. The Penguins acquired him from the Dallas Stars for a conditional fourth-round pick in December.

Oleksiak recorded four goals and 10 assists with a plus-13 rating in 47 games for the Penguins last season, bringing his season totals to five, 12 and plus-7, respectively. He averaged 17 minutes, 24 seconds of ice time per game in Pittsburgh, up 2:24 from his average before the trade.

--Field Level Media

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