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Jets' Hellebuyck to make NHL debut vs. Wild

Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

Widely considered one of the top goaltending prospects in the league, Connor Hellebuyck will get a chance to live up to the hype Friday, as he is pegged to make his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets when they face the Minnesota Wild.

Despite a 2-7-1 record this season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose, the 22-year-old's 2.41 GAA and .927 save percentage are both improvements from a year ago. Hellebuyck was called up after it was learned Ondrej Pavelec would miss about a month with a lower-body injury.

Head coach Paul Maurice is certainly enthusiastic about the 2012 fifth-round pick's potential.

"I want Hellebuyck to play," Maurice said Sunday, according to WinnipegJets.com. "I want to see him play. The games I've seen this young man play, I think he can help us win games. I'm not reluctant to put him in the net."

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