Laurent Brossoit returns to the Winnipeg Jets following a two-year hiatus with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume and some lofty aspirations.
"I see opportunity, and I'm going to push (No. 1 netminder Connor Hellebuyck)," Brossoit said Tuesday, according to NHL.com's Derek Van Diest. "He's obviously the guy that's been trusted there for a long time, and he's a good friend of mine.
"But I'm going to push him like I did when I was here last, and hopefully we can both be better for it and have the strongest tandem in the league."
Brossoit was with the Jets from 2018-21. He posted a 25-19-3 record to go along with a .913 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average over that span. He signed with the Vegas Golden Knights as an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2021-22 campaign.
Sin City relied on Brossoit in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 30-year-old outdueled Hellebuyck and the Jets in the five-game series, surrendering two or fewer goals in three of those contests and posting an admirable .915 save percentage.
The B.C. native suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 of the second round against the Edmonton Oilers, and Vegas rode Adin Hill for the rest of the spring.
"Definitely the way it shook out, it doesn't feel like that craving has been fully satisfied. Maybe partly, and it was a great experience," he said. "But it definitely made me hungrier to be a bigger part of another Stanley Cup win."
Both Hill and Brossoit were pending unrestricted free agents heading into the summer. The Golden Knights inked Hill to a two-year, $9.8-million extension, while Brossoit reunited with Winnipeg on a one-year pact worth $1.75 million.
Brossoit's hopes of forming a fearsome tandem with Hellebuyck may be in jeopardy, as the three-time Vezina Trophy finalist could be on the move this offseason.
Hellebuyck has one season remaining on his current pact and has been eligible to sign an extension with Winnipeg since July 1, but he reportedly isn't interested in doing so. The New Jersey Devils apparently had a conversation with the Jets about his status.
One of the top goaltenders in the league, Hellebuyck posted a .920 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average in 64 outings this past season.
