The trade saga of New Jersey Devils goaltender Connor Hellebuyck might have found a conclusion, but the drama is far from over.
Weeks after the former Winnipeg Jets netminder was traded to the Devils, Hellebuyck was supposed to face his former team on Tuesday. But on Sunday, New Jersey general manager Sunny Mehta announced that Hellebuyck will not be playing after all, with Mehta citing concerns about how it would affect their win probability.
"This has been an organizational decision for us that we've debated at length," Mehta said. "Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play on Tuesday in Winnipeg. However, in our estimation, playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability."
Mehta added that the team will organize media availability with Hellebuyck "at his request" after the Devils' morning skate on Tuesday.
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that the decision to rest Hellebuyck was actually about load management, as the goalie has started three games already this week.
"From our perspective, when you zoom out, this is a goaltender that is not going to play every single game of the season. You're always looking...