'Generational goalie': Jets' Hellebuyck delivers another reminder of impact

WINNIPEG — Patrik Laine got his wish. 

Sort of.

During a Saturday morning media availability at the Montreal Canadiens’ hotel, Laine told reporters he was hoping Connor Hellebuyck would be in net when he faced his former team.

Laine had never played against Hellebuyck.

“The last two times I’ve been here, I don’t think he’s played. He’s had the Paddy flu — I mean, it’s understandable,” Laine quipped. 

But by the time the buzzer sounded on the Winnipeg Jets’ 4-2 win over the Habs, it was the two-time Vezina Trophy winner who got the last laugh. 

Hellebuyck held Laine off the scoresheet, saving all seven shots the latter recorded. Four of those came on the power play. 

“No flu tonight,” Hellebuyck said post-game. “He had a lot of shots tonight. He's a good shooter. But nothing for him.”

One of those saves was highlight-reel worthy, with Hellebuyck robbing Laine of a power-play goal with a cross-crease blocker save — where he lost his stick in the process — before subsequently swatting the puck out of mid-air with his hands.

Hellebucyk hadn’t heard Laine’s pre-game remarks until he was asked about it post-game. But it’s not like he needed any extra motivation to dial in. Having faced off against him in practice so many times — let alone the fact his trademark one-timer is no secret — Hellebuyck’s positioning was that of someone who knew what to do every time Laine was in his trademark shooting spot.

“He always has the ability to recognize what's coming with the next situation,” Arniel said.

While Jets fans are undeniably happy seeing Laine happy, healthy and back playing, a lingering “what could have been” feeling will always ruminate in this market. Seeing a player your team drafted second overall — and rose to become one of the most prolific scorers in the game as a teenager — in another team’s colours stings. Nearly four years since he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Pierre-Luc Dubois, there’s still a litany of Laine jerseys on any given night at Canada Life Centre.

But Saturday’s game was a not-so-subtle reminder of the franchise-altering talent they do have. That is, the best goaltender on the planet.

“I get to see it every night and probably take it for granted when you watch it over and over and over again. I was reminiscing about that the other day,” Josh Morrissey said post-game. “I think when I played my 600th game, I was thinking about how I probably played about 500 at least with him in the net. That’s pretty lucky as a player. He makes it look easy, but I guarantee it’s not. Just a special, special talent, and really a generational goalie in my view.”

Sure, Hellebuyck’s on-ice — or off-ice — brilliance isn’t as marketable as Laine’s once was. But you’d be hard-pressed to argue against Hellebuyck being the franchise’s most impactful player since they relocated from Atlanta to Winnipeg. 

Since the 2016-17 season, his first as a starter, no goalie has recorded more shutouts than Hellebuyck (38), who also ranks second in wins (281). According to data retrieved by NaturalStatTrick.com, Hellebuyck ranks fourth in Goals Saved Above Expected per 60 minutes (0.21) among the 61 goalies that have played at least 150 games in that span. He’s done that all the while facing the 19th most high-danger shots against per game (7.99). 

He’s a near-lock to win his third Vezina, boasting a .926 save percentage, a 2.11 goals-against average and three shutouts through 25 games. At this rate, it’s hard to foresee him being left off the Hart Trophy ballot.

Frankly, it’s not inconceivable to think Hellebuyck will be inducted into the Hall of Fame once it’s all said and done. And he doesn’t need a Stanley Cup to get there. A championship win at the Four Nations Face-Off and perhaps even an Olympic Gold Medal could give him enough accolades to fit the bill. 

And if he remains in Winnipeg throughout his current contract, that’ll mark nearly two decades in a Jets uniform. By then, you’ll see a lot more “Hellebuyck” namebars — as opposed to “Laine” — on the backs of fans at Canada Life Centre.