Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff reflected on Friday's blockbuster trade that sent Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils, calling the entire process unpleasant.
"It certainly hasn't been fun. There's no question about it. But at the end of the day, Connor made his choice. And, as an organization, we had to act accordingly and we did," Cheveldayoff said, according to Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press.
The departure for the former NHL MVP and three-time Vezina Trophy winner marks the end of a protracted saga after Hellebuyck requested a trade in August.
Cheveldayoff likes what the Jets received in return for Hellebuyck, a package that includes forwards Nick Bjugstad and Dawson Mercer, goaltender Nico Daws, prospect Alexander Command, and two draft picks.
"I feel that we addressed some needs that we had in our forward group here right now," Cheveldayoff said.
Cheveldayoff added: "We added depth to the organization. We added assets that I can use now either for drafting or at the trade deadline. And at the end of the day, that's the goal that I set out to to try to accomplish here moving forward."
Hellebuyck spent eleven seasons with the Jets after he was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The 33-year-old won 345 games with a .916 save percentage during his Jets tenure, which also included four All-Star Game appearances.
