Monday Morning Halfback: Hellebuyck’s trade demand and the contract that could change the NHL

OPINION Monday Morning Halfback: Hellebuyck’s trade demand and the contract that could change the NHL CATHAL KELLY AND JAMIE ROSS PUBLISHED 49 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck took the private trade request he made earlier in the off-season public on Thursday. JOHN WOODS/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Jamie Ross is the Sports editor at the Globe and Mail; Cathal Kelly is the national sports columnist. J.R.: Hey Cathal, we’ve got lots to play with this week. Let’s start with Connor Hellebuyck, the star American goaltender who asked to be traded away from the Winnipeg Jets. This follows the departure from Canadian teams of two other U.S. superstars, Brady Tkachuk, who was traded to Florida from Ottawa, and Quinn Hughes, who left the Canucks in a trade to Minnesota last year. Should the Maple Leafs be worried? Is Auston Matthews next? C.K.: Jamie, vis a vis the American – what is like a brain drain, but doesn’t affect aggregate IQ? A torso drain? – I think every Canadian NHL team should be worried. That’s a positive development. Cathal Kelly: Latest reporting on the dangers of football offers a revealing look at the American psyche Canadian teams are used to stacking money despite being terrible. Doesn’t matter how bad they are, they still pack the arena and lead the local sports section. You think the Lightning or the Hurricanes get that benefit? I’d be amazed if Carolina made the front page of the Charlotte Observer the day after they won the Cup. Open this photo in gallery: Montreal Canadien Cole Caufield, a prominent American player in a Canadian market, won't be in a rush to make a trade request, with the success that his team is having. CHRISTINNE MUSCHI/THE CANADIAN PRESS But now a wrinkle – American NHLers are developing discernment. They’re not feeling welcome (because they’re not). They don’t want to be aggressed in their second homes. Not unless they are winning. You’ll notice that the Montreal Canadiens are not facing a reverse flow of secretly MAGA types. Cole Caufield isn’t publicly pining for the familiar shores of the Wisconsin River. There’s a simple way for the Leafs to head off this problem – be as good as the Canadiens. Unfortunately for Toronto, goodness eludes them. Ditto Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and (maybe) Edmonton. Either be good…