Three Teams "Hold The Keys" To Connor Hellebuyck trade.

The Connor Hellebuyck saga hasn't just become a distraction for the Winnipeg Jets, it has dominated headlines around the National Hockey League with everyone wondering where the Olympic Gold Medalist will land if he is indeed traded at some point this season.

Over the weekend it was revealed that Hellebuyck had actually been suspended by the Jets, with that suspension set to expire in just a few short days on Friday October 23rd. With speculation that the end of Hellebuyck's suspension could serve as a soft deadline to try and work out a trade, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared his insight on which teams he believes could make this highly anticipated trade a reality.

"I think there's a couple of teams here that hold the keys to this," revealed Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "The three teams I'm gonna put in those positions are Buffalo... Number two the Rangers... And the third team I'm gonna put here... is Utah."

His reasoning for the Buffalo Sabres was simple and to the point.

"Because they've wanted Hellebuyck and he is willing to go to them," stated Friedman flatly.

The involvement of the New York Rangers on the other hand was considerably more complicated.

"Not because they want Hellebuyck, I don't think that's likely," admitted Friedman. "But whatever Chris Drury is gonna do here with the injury to Shesterkin, it could set a chain reaction around the league."

While Rangers rookie goaltender Dylan Garand has performed admirably this season with a 1.82 goals against average and a .927 save percentage, Friedman believes the Rangers are still looking for an upgrade in net after Shesterkin suffered a season ending injury.

"I just think the overall arch of their season, especially with the Rangers being as competitive as they are, I think they feel they can do better," added Friedman. "So I think they're going to do something."

The motivations for the Utah Mammoth were similar to that of the Sabres, although Friedman believes the added pressures on the NHL's newest franchise be what tips the Mammoth over the edge.

"They've kind of been in and out and in and out.... [Karel] Vejmelka by goals saved above expected is off to a rough start, and this is a big year for them," said Friedman. "A very big year for the Mammoth."

Friedman points to the acquisition of Vincent Trocheck, a player the Mammoth pursued for over a year, as an example of how they may be approaching a trade for Hellebuyck.

"They've been in and out on Hellebuyck that says to me they're interested, now that it's real I just wanna see if they're a factor at the end of all this," said Friedman.

Friedman did also mention the possibility of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes, but didn't include them in his 3 keys because he struggles to see a fit.

"We all know that Carolina has been interested," confirmed Friedman. "I've reported many times I don't think it's an easy deal for those two teams to make, although I do think Carolina is interested."

With this many teams involved and the lifting of Hellebuyck's suspension acting as something of a pressure point, we may very well be headed towards a trade and a conclusion to this saga.