Connor Hellebuyck tops Sabres' offseason target list

Jeff Marek put connor hellebuyck at the center of Buffalo’s offseason conversation, saying the Sabres should look at Winnipeg for the Jets goaltender. The recommendation lands after Buffalo’s season ended, with Jarmo Kekalainen now facing roster decisions that could reshape the team’s crease.

Marek points Buffalo to Winnipeg

“One thing I suggested a couple of days ago and if I am the Buffalo Sabres I am looking at Winnipeg for Connor Hellebuyck,” Marek said. He tied the idea to a team that was aggressive at the trade deadline and still reached the point of being one game away from the Eastern Conference Final.

That is the clearest reason Hellebuyck has become the name attached to Buffalo’s offseason planning. He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, and Marek framed him as the sort of goaltending upgrade that would change the conversation around a position the Sabres did not stabilize this year.

Sabres goalie room was uneven

Marek pointed directly at Buffalo’s current goaltending mix, saying Ukaas Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis were all leaky at times this year. That is the problem the Sabres have to solve if they want the offseason to match the ambition they showed before the deadline.

The contrast is stark because Hellebuyck’s recent playoff line has gone the other way. In his last 18 playoff games across 2024 and 2025, he allowed 63 goals, a number Buffalo has to weigh against the pedigree that comes with three Vezina Trophies.

Buffalo’s offseason decision

For Kekalainen, the next step is less about whether Buffalo needs help in net and more about how far the club is willing to go to get it. Marek’s point was not subtle: if the Sabres want a bigger result next spring, the goalie search can start with Winnipeg and Hellebuyck.