Lundqvist goes after Hellebuyck for sitting out tonight's game in Winnipeg

Henrik Lundqvist isn't buying the idea that Connor Hellebuyck had absolutely no say in whether he would play Tuesday night against his former team, and it's hard to argue with the former NHL goaltender's perspective.

Hellebuyck's highly anticipated return to Winnipeg was supposed to be one of the biggest storylines of the NHL season. Instead, the New Jersey Devils have decided to keep their star goaltender out of the lineup, opting to give Jake Allen the start at Canada Life Centre.

The official explanation from Devils general manager Sunny Mehta was that the decision was made in the best interests of the team, with the organization believing that playing Hellebuyck could negatively affect its chances of winning. Head coach Sheldon Keefe also pointed toward workload management and the importance of having Hellebuyck available for upcoming divisional games against Washington.

Lundqvist calls BS on the team pulling rank on Helleybuck.

"I think he's earned the right to make that decision (for himself). I think New Jersey wants to protect him, but I think that Connor Helleybuck has earned the right to make that decision after 11 years."

Lundqvist's comments on TNT raise a pretty important question: how much of this decision was actually made by the Devils, and how much of it was influenced by Hellebuyck himself?

"As a player, you take on a lot," said Lundqvist on TNT tonight. "You have to. You sign up for that when you sign a contract and when things are not going well you have to face the music."

After all, this isn't just another game on the schedule. This is Hellebuyck's first opportunity to face the Winnipeg fans who supported him for 11 seasons, including throughout his rise to becoming one of the best goaltenders in hockey. It's also his first opportunity to answer for the way his relationship with the organization deteriorated and ultimately ended with a trade request, a training camp holdout and an eventual departure.

When asked by his fellow panelists if Lundqvist himself would insist on playing if he were in Hellebuyck's shoes, he admitted that he wouldn't accept anything less from his team.

"I would not leave the room with the GM until he says, 'Ok, you're playing'," Lundqvist said. "

The problem is that Hellebuyck's explanation leaves plenty of room for skepticism. He has repeatedly insisted that he wanted to play, but ultimately accepted the organization's decision. That's a convenient position to find himself in, particularly when the alternative would have meant walking into a building full of people who have every reason to be unhappy with him.

And let's not forget that Hellebuyck was perfectly comfortable making difficult decisions when it came to his own future. He requested a trade despite having years remaining on his contract, refused to report to training camp and ultimately forced his way out of Winnipeg. He was willing to put the organization, his former teammates and the fanbase through an incredibly uncomfortable situation to get what he wanted.

Now that it's his turn to face some uncomfortable questions and potentially an unpleasant reception, suddenly he's pointing to somebody else's decision.

Maybe the Devils genuinely believe resting Hellebuyck is the best way to maximize their chances of winning. That's certainly their right as an organization. But it's also fair to wonder whether Hellebuyck was perfectly happy to let his general manager take the heat for a decision that conveniently saves him from facing the Winnipeg faithful.

Hellebuyck will still have to answer questions from the media, but that's a whole lot different from standing in the crease while thousands of Jets fans make their feelings known.

If Lundqvist's skepticism is justified, Hellebuyck may have found a pretty convenient escape hatch. He can tell everyone he wanted to play, Mehta can take responsibility for keeping him out of the lineup, and Hellebuyck can avoid the one thing that Winnipeg fans were most looking forward to seeing: him facing the music.