Connor Hellebuyck just made his trade situation even worse!

The Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks reportedly explored a Connor Hellebuyck deal this offseason, but according to Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the two sides never came close to completing a trade, and the reason has only fueled more frustration among hockey fans.

Friedman explained that while Hellebuyck would be open to joining San Jose, the Vezina- winning goaltender wants to compete for a Stanley Cup within the next three years. The Sharks, however, are not confident they will be contenders within that window.

That detail landed poorly with a large portion of the fanbase. Many felt a goaltender who has yet to deliver deep into the postseason has no standing to dictate championship timelines.

"We all want a lot of things. Part of life is sometimes you can' t get what you want. A huge majority of players never win a Cup. Enjoy your millions with a Jet on your chest and shut up," one fan wrote.

The frustration is rooted in numbers that are hard to ignore. Hellebuyck carries a career postseason record of 24 wins and 34 losses, with a. .903 save percentage and a 2. 90 goals- against average. Those figures sit well below his regular- season marks of. .918 and 2. 56.

Over the Jets' three most recent playoff appearances, his save percentage has dropped to. .870. He has reportedly lost 10 straight road playoff games, with a staggering 5. 07 goals- against average in those contests.

Winnipeg has advanced past the first round just twice during his tenure. Both of those deeper runs ended with four consecutive defeats.

The goaltender' s postseason struggles are reportedly keeping his trade market quiet. Nick Kypreos has recently indicated that Buffalo, San Jose, and Utah are all monitoring the situation, but none have moved aggressively.

The fact remains that Hellebuyck has failed to deliver in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, making it even more challenging to match a return value with his current and future value.

Hellebuyck remains suspended by the Jets after failing to report to training camp. He still has five years remaining on a deal that carries an $ 8. 5 million annual cap hit.

The standoff continues with no resolution in sight, and the longer it drags on, the more the conversation centres on what Hellebuyck has not accomplished rather than what he has.