Winnipeg is off to a 4-3-3 start without Hellebuyck. Stuart Skinner, who signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract ($3.75 million average annual value) on July 1, is 3-1-3 with a 2.67 GAA and .912 save percentage in seven games (seven starts). Clay Stevenson, who was claimed off waivers by the Washington Capitals on September 28, is 1-2-0 with a 3.08 GAA and .893 save percentage in three games (three starts).
The Jets will next play away in the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX).
“We’re focusing on the group we have here,” Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry said Oct. 17. “The guys are excited to be here. The guys are excited to play for the Jets.
“Obviously there’s something missing from our roster, whether it’s the assets or the player himself. But that’s what we have. That’s what we have to live with. You have to do your best in whatever situation you’re in. I think we’ve done a really good job with that.”
Coach Scott Arniel said on October 17 that he would deal with Hellebuyck’s return when that happened.
“At the end of the day, for me, I have 23 guys and all they care about is winning hockey games,” he said. “My preparation, my thoughts are on that. I’m not worried about who’s here and who’s not there.”
Hellebuyck is the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise’s all-time leader in games played (625), games started (615), wins (345) and shutouts (45). His .916 save percentage and 2.58 GAA are the best among goaltenders who have played at least 80 games for the franchise.
The Heritage Classic will be the second outdoor NHL game in Winnipeg. Hellebuyck made 29 saves for the Jets in a 3–0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at the same event and venue, then known as Investors Group Field, on October 23, 2016.
It is unclear when Hellebuyck will debut with the Devils. New Jersey will play in Winnipeg on November 10.
The Devils (6-4-0) used a tandem of Jake Allen, who is 4-2-0 with a 3.15 GAA and .883 save percentage in six games (six starts), and Daws, who is 2-2-0 with a 2.78 GAA and .872 save percentage in four games (four starts). New Jersey’s team save percentage of .876 is tied with the Anaheim Ducks for 23rd in the NHL.
The Devils selected Daws in the third round (84th) of the 2020 NHL Draft, and the 25-year-old is 26-26-1 with a 2.94 GAA, .897 save percentage and one shutout in 59 games (54 starts) over five seasons.
Mercer has four assists in 10 games. The 24-year-old center has scored at least 20 goals three times in his first five NHL seasons, including last season, where he had 42 points (20 goals, 22 assists) in 82 games. He has not missed a game during his six seasons in the NHL and has 213 points (103 goals, 110 assists) in 420 games. The Devils selected Mercer in the first round (18th) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Bjugstad has not played this season due to an upper body injury. The 34-year-old had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 61 games last season with the St. Louis Blues and Devils, who acquired him in a Feb. 4 trade. In 14 seasons in the NHL with the Devils, Blues, Utah Mammoth, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, he collected 339 points (163 goals, 176 assists) in 821 games.
Command, selected by the Devils with the 12th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in six games with Team Orebro in the Swedish Junior League, and has no points in six games with Team Orebro in the Swedish Hockey League.
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