Jets rejected massive offer for Hellebuyck when they had the chance.

The Connor Hellebuyck situation in Winnipeg has turned into a full fledged nightmare for the Winnipeg Jets and their fan base, with Hellebuyck now refusing to report for camp and effectively forcing the Jets to suspend him.

It was perhaps a nightmare that could have been avoided however.

This week, National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Jets had received at least one significant offer, with that offer coming by way of the Florida Panthers. According to Friedman, Panthers general manager Bill Zito had expressed interest in acquiring Hellebuyck long before they would eventually make a trade for goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

"I think Florida was the first team that came up to be honest," revealed Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "I think they were very interested in Hellebuyck."

The Panthers reportedly made a significant offer for Hellebuyck, but an offer that is no longer available to the Jets following the Panthers' blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators earlier this summer.

"I believe that their offer was [Evan] Rodrigues, the picks that went to Ottawa in the Brady Tkachuk trade, and one roster player," revealed Friedman. "Not [Anton] Lundell, I get asked all the time if it was Lundell, I think you would have to rip Lundell out of Bill Zito's hand with a crowbar I don't think it was Lundell."

Those two first round picks would have been the 9th overall selection, which became defenseman Keaton Verhoeff who was selected by the San Jose Sharks after that pick was flipped by the Senators in the William Eklund trade, and the 25th overall pick in the draft which the Senators used to draft forward Jonas Lagerberg Hoen. It seems the Jets however felt they could do better.

"I just heard that deal wasn't enough for the Jets," said Friedman.

Thus far Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has held firm and appears prepared to hold out until he gets a deal that he finds suitable, but any deal he does make involving his star goaltender will now likely be compared with the offer he reportedly turned down earlier this summer.