The Winnipeg Jets are now ten games into their 2026-27 NHL regular season following a Thursday night away game against the Dallas Stars. The Jets are now exactly 2 days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. Princess Auto Stadium is now ready for the outdoor game, and the Jets vs. Canadiens alumni game will get the weekend going on Saturday night. The Jets fell to 4-3-3 on the season after a 3-2 (what seems like their favourite score this season) overtime loss to the Dallas Stars.

The Jets were somewhat lucky to get a point out of this game, as the Stars doubled the Jets shots on goal 38-19. The game last night was one thing, but today all of the attention has suddenly turned to the Connor Hellebuyck trade. Yes, the Connor Hellebuyck trade, which was finally completed today with the New Jersey Devils. The long wait from August 27th, the day Hellebuyck publicly his trade request, is finally over.

This weekend Jets fans were already excited about the Heritage Classic, but now Jets fans will be excited to know what they’re getting in return from the Devils for Hellebuyck. Oh, and if you’re wondering when the Devils will be in Winnipeg, well that game will be on November 10th, as Hellebuyck makes his return to Winnipeg (if he’s starting that night), in just a few weeks.

In exchange for the three-time Vezina Trophy winning goaltender, the Winnipeg Jets received from the New Jersey Devils: Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 2nd round draft pick and a 2027 7th round draft pick. At first glance, this seems like a very solid return for the Jets given the situation that they were placed in with Hellebuyck’s private (and then public) trade request. Here’s a quick look at each of the players that are now headed to Winnipeg, along with where each of the players could fit within the organization.

Dawson Mercer is the main “right now” piece of this trade. The 24-year old right handed centre was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1st round, 18th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Mercer made an immediate impact in the NHL (after one final year in junior hockey), scoring 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in his rookie season with the Devils. Mercer’s second season with the Devils was when he recorded his current career highs of 27 goals and 29 assists for 56 points. Mercer has had a slow start of the 2026-27 season, recording just 4 assists in 10 games. Something very notable about Mercer is that he’s appeared in all 82 games of every season he’s been in the NHL. Mercer will get an elevated role from what he was getting with the Devils, and although we don’t know exactly where Mercer will be in the lineup, the 2nd line seems like a good starting point for the newest Jets forward.

Alexander Command is the main “future” piece of this trade. The 18-year old left handed centre was drafted by the New Jersey Devils just this summer, in the 1st round, 12th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Command was a quick riser before the draft, as he was projected to be drafted later in the 1st round before the Devils stepped up with the 12th overall pick to select the Swedish forward. Command has played with Viggo Bjork on Team Sweden, and he currently plays for Orebro HK in the Swedish Hockey League. Command is a two-way centre who is described as a playmaker with a high-motor and a strong awareness of both ends of the ice. Command is projected to be a reliable middle-six (2nd or 3rd line) centre, and Jets fans could see him in the NHL in just a few seasons.

Nico Daws is the the goalie coming back in the Hellebuyck trade. The 25-year old was born in Germany but moved to Canada at a very young age. The 6’4″, 205 lbs goaltender was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 3rd round, 84th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Daws has split his playing time throughout his career between the Devils and the Utica Comets in the AHL. Daws has appeared in 59 games in the NHL with a 26-26-1 record, a 2.94 goals against average, a 0.897 save percentage and 1 shutout. Daws has had his ups and downs in his career, and much like Mercer, he’ll benefit from a change in scenery. It’s unlikely that Daws will jump right into the backup role behind Skinner, but there’s a chance that Daws could make an appearance later in the season. Stevenson appears to be a reliable backup (so far), and Daws will benefit from getting regular playing time with the Manitoba Moose.

Nick Bjugstad is a veteran forward who is currently out for 4-6 months after recovering from surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle suffered during off-season training. Bjugstad is a tall 6’6″, 210 lbs right handed centre who was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 1st round, 19th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. The Jets will be Bjugstad’s 9th NHL team in his career. Bjugstad has appeared in 821 games, scoring 163 goals and 176 assists for 339 points. The veteran forward could be used in a bottom-six role on the Jets once he returns from injury in early 2027. Bjugstad was likely included in this trade to make the salary cap work for both teams, but there’s still some chance that Bjugstad could help the Jets in some capacity once he returns to full health.

The 2029 2nd round pick will hopefully be a decent prospect likely in the 40-50th overall range of that draft. The 2027 7th round pick could be just about anything, and although 7th round picks are generally seen as “nothing”, you never know what could happen with the player that is selected in that spot in this upcoming draft. Overall, I think the Jets did very well in this trade. Connor Hellebuyck was the franchise’s all-time best goalie, but it’s officially time to move on from that era and look at the team the Jets have right now. Mercer will be fun to watch (hopefully in the top six) right away, and Command is a very intriguing prospect that immediate jumps into the top five current Jets prospects. Daws, Bjugstad, and the two draft picks will hopefully help the Jets in some way, and for the Devils, Hellebuyck immediately improves their goaltending situation, making this a win-win situation for both teams.

The 2026-27 NHL regular season is now around a month complete, with another busy night of hockey coming up on Sunday. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets regular season, as well as articles to preview and recap the Jets alumni game against the Canadiens alumni on Saturday, followed by the Heritage Classic on Sunday night!

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