Report: Dubois to Montreal is 'pretty much a guarantee'

It appears that 2023 will be the offseason of change for the Winnipeg Jets franchise.

After a middling few seasons where this team's core has had difficulty getting over the hump, it appears that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is looking to make major changes to his roster this summer.

"Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and the team prefer not to have to trade any of their top players, and they’re not committed to doing that or extending them. But you do have to look at the potential," NHL insider Darren Dreger said yesterday on TSN's 'Insider Trading' segment. "What you’re hearing on the trade market for Dubois, Mark Scheifele, or Connor Hellebuyck is that they have to imagine the return for any of those three players or all three of those players in this off-season. It would help stabilize the Jets."

"When you look after next season, you cannot allow Hellebuyck to walk into unrestricted free agency free."

"Off-season deals are normally the best deals in terms of return, but this is going to be a big summer for the Jets."

The Scheifele and Dubois trade rumors are nothing new, but to me Hellebuyck is the most intriguing name. He's a legitimate Vezina Trophy contender nearly every season and still has at least a few more good to great years left in his career. I suspect that the Jets will take their time finding the right deal with Hellebuyck.

Dubois though... he seems like a foregone conclusion.

"Our understanding is that [Dubois' agent Pat Brisson] informed the Jets that his client isn’t inclined to sign an extension this summer, not even a one-year bridge," said Dreger's colleague Pierre LeBrun. "Brisson would like to work with the Jets on a trade for Dubois to another team. That’s where that’s at right now and the Jets can still decide to keep him for another year, try to bring him to arbitration, or trade him at the trade deadline.

"Bottom line is, this looks like it’s headed to a trade – potentially this summer."

The thing with Dubois is that EVERYONE and their brother knows that he'll end up with the Montreal Canadiens either via trade or as a free agent. Any team that picks him up this offseason will likely just be getting him as a one year rental until he becomes a free agent.