Winnipeg Jets star netminder Connor Hellebuyck is close to getting back on the ice after undergoing a procedure on his knee last month.
Jets head coach Scott Arniel said Hellebuyck’s timeline has not changed from when he was ruled out for four-to-six weeks on Nov. 21.
“I’m going to make sure he has four yellow (non-contact) jerseys on,” Arniel said of protecting the reigning Hart Trophy winner.
#NHLJets head coach Scott Arniel says Connor Hellebuyck is close to getting back on the ice. Timeline still hasn’t changed, but team will be cautious. Arniel said “I’m going to make sure he has four yellow (non-contact) jerseys on.”
— Mitchell Clinton (@MitchellClinton) December 3, 2025
Hellebuyck is 8-6-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .913 save percentage this season for the Jets, who have been in a tailspin without him. Winnipeg has lost five of their past six with the latest defeat coming Monday in a 5-1 blowout against the Buffalo Sabres.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports the 13-12-0 Jets held a players-only meeting after the defeat.
“Well, lots of people want to point to goaltending, and that isn’t the case. I mean, obviously, when you’ve got an elite goaltender like Connor Hellebuyck at your availability, he can mask a lot of defensive issues,” Dreger explained on Insider Trading. “But really that’s what it boils down to of late in terms of how the Winnipeg Jets are playing. Too many breakdowns in the defensive zone, too much time there, too much energy, which takes away from their offensive push. So there is no quick fix here. There’s no trade that’s going to help this. What may help it is a players only meeting, which they had after a humbling loss Monday to the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo to re-establish that commitment to playing better defence, the identity of the Winnipeg Jets.”
Eric Comrie has seen six of the seven starts since Hellebuyck was shut down and saw his record drop to 5-5-0 on the season with Monday’s loss. The 30-year-old netminder has a .893 save percentage and a 3.13 goals-against average.
Thomas Milic is currently serving as Comrie’s backup and has seen one start, allowing four goals on 34 shots in a 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes last week. Milic, 22, entered in relief of Comrie on Monday and allowed two goals on 17 shots over the final 20 minutes of play.
The Jets will visit the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday in the last of a five-game road trip before returning to Winnipeg to host the Sabres on Friday.
