Hellebuyck Steps Into the Crease, and New Jersey Holds Its Breath on Both Ends

Connor Hellebuyck made his Devils debut Tuesday night in Dallas, starting in net roughly four days after the trade from Winnipeg was finalized. The 33-year-old three-time Vezina Trophy winner had spent weeks sitting at home — he requested a trade in the offseason, skipped training camp, and was suspended by the Jets before New Jersey finally got the deal done. A long wait. He said as much when he met the media earlier this week: "sitting at home for so long was getting to me." Tuesday was the end of that.

The cost of getting him here is the other story running alongside the debut. Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad were part of the package that went back to Winnipeg, and the Devils' forward depth is thinner for it. That's the trade-off New Jersey made — a franchise-caliber goaltender in exchange for some of the forward cushion that keeps a lineup functional through a long season. Whether that math works out depends on how much Hellebuyck actually changes the calculus in net.

He comes with the résumé to justify the price. Three Vezinas, a Hart Trophy, years of carrying Winnipeg's playoff hopes largely on his own. The one thing missing from that list is a Stanley Cup, and he said plainly this week that winning one is why he's here. The Devils are betting the same thing.

The next marker on the calendar is November 10th in Winnipeg. That one will have its own atmosphere.