After failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2025-26, Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito is on a mission to ensure that doesn’t happen again next season and for the foreseeable future. Despite not signing or trading for a No. 1 goalie, he’s restructured the lineup, acquiring Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway to turn the Panthers into one of the most difficult opponents on the schedule.
Meanwhile, Florida does not have an NHL-caliber goalie on the roster, as two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky will be a free agent on July 1. Interestingly, instead of the team being linked to their star goalie, the Panthers can’t escape any conversation with former Hart Trophy winner and current Winnipeg Jets goalie, Connor Hellebuyck.
After a few days with no new updates on Florida and Hellebuyck, a couple of NHL Insiders mentioned on social media on Wednesday that the organization had circled back and was once again in talks with the Jets about their franchise netminder, who recently requested a trade.
On Thursday, social media was abuzz again, not only for the Panthers' acquisition of Hathaway but also for murmurs of talks between the team and a potential goalie, which continue to dominate the newscycle.
First, Elliotte Friedman mentioned on The FAN Hockey Show that the Jets are now operating under the impression they “need” to trade Hellebuyck, which is a little different than what most have said throughout the offseason. Despite the rumors that their goalie wants out, especially after his end-of-season press conference, they have not made it public that they are actively shopping him.
Elliotte Friedman: There was another interesting theory...obviously Florida really squeezed Ottawa...they knew Brady Tkachuk wanted to go there, there was some people wondering if that's what Florida's gonna do with Connor Hellebuyck - FAN Hockey Show (6/24)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 25, 2026
Then, Friedman went on to say that it’s no secret that Hellebuyck wants to go to Florida, meaning just like the Ottawa Senators, who traded Tkachuk for some draft picks, they, in turn, could do the same thing with another frustrated player who wishes to relocate to the Sunshine State.
Meanwhile, a reporter for the Winnipeg News thinks that if Hellebuyck wishes to win, he’d be interested in going to a Stanley Cup contender like Carolina or Florida, despite rumors that the Sabres are interested in acquiring the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
If the Panthers don’t land Hellebuyck or re-sign Bobrovsky, there’s been some speculation that the club could turn to another goalie, like Jordan Binnington. However, David Dwork of The Hockey News reports that a trade with the St. Louis Blues for Binnington appears off the table, meaning the club could be working on something else or seeking a different option.
Finally, David Pagnotta from the Fourth Period spoke on the Daily Faceoff Live about the fact that the Panthers do not have any first-round picks in any upcoming drafts. Once they dealt away this year’s 9th overall pick, they effectively eliminated themselves from the Hellebuyck sweepstakes.
At this point, the Panthers haven't publicly confirmed that Anton Lundell will not be part of any trade package to acquire anyone. Still, many insiders believe he is not available in any package. This ongoing situation led to Pierre LeBrun commenting on Oilers Now this morning to back up Pagnotta’s assessment that, at this stage of the offseason, Florida has no chance of acquiring Hellebuyck. However, he did say in the same interview that Buffalo, Carolina, and Florida are the top teams inquiring about the Olympic Gold Medalist.
Arguably one of, if not the greatest player in Jets 2.0 history. Hellebuyck just played at the Olympics with Matthew and Brady, and would embrace a chance to play with them again. Meanwhile, he is one of the many American-born star players requesting to leave Canadian markets for teams in the United States, including J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, and Johnny Gaudreau, to name a few, signaling a shift in dynamics.
As mentioned earlier, until the Jets sort out their situation with Hellebuyck and Zito finds a No. 1 goalie, the Panthers will continue to be linked to any puckstoppers willing to join a Stanley Cup contender.
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