Scheifele on Hellebuyck's trade demand: 'You can drive yourself crazy'

Mark Scheifele found out his goaltender wanted out the same way everyone else did: Connor Hellebuyck's agent posted a statement of discontent.

"You definitely hear things or see things, and you're unsure," Scheifele said Sept. 10 in a sit-down interview with Sportsnet.ca at the NHL Player Media Tour in Henderson, Nev. "But you kind of focus on yourself more, because you know if you (focus on) the business side of things or someone else's personal situation, then you can drive yourself crazy."

Hellebuyck has requested a trade, made the demand public, and indicated he does not intend to report to training camp, which opens Sept. 16, with five years still owed to Winnipeg on the seven-year, $59.5 million extension he signed in October 2023. Scheifele signed an identical deal the same autumn.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has not found a package to his liking despite interest from Buffalo, Utah and Carolina, among others. The complication is obvious: the clubs with the most mutual interest are contenders who would rather part with futures than NHL-ready players, and Cheveldayoff does not want picks and prospects that signal a reset.

Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina winner and the 2024-25 Hart Trophy recipient, won gold with Team USA in Milan. Scheifele is not pretending the loss would be small.

"He's arguably the best goalie in the world," he said. "But whatever happens, you just got to put your own focus on yourself and focus on the team."

He also drew a line between the friendship and the business.

"Obviously, I want him to be my goaltender. But at the same time, you have to kind of turn your teammate face off and turn your friend face on."

Winnipeg recently signed Stuart Skinner, who could be in for a heavy workload. Scheifele, 33, is coming off a career-best 103-point season that coincided with the Jets' worst finish in a decade.