Goaltending is a perpetual hot topic of conversation during the off-season for members of Jets Nation and Connor Hellebuyck’s strong performance at the recent world championship did nothing to quell the chatter.

The debate over whether Ondrej Pavelec should be the starting goalie for the Winnipeg Jets has been raging on for years and doesn’t figure to be dying down anytime soon.

Not after Michael Hutchinson’s solid rookie season, nor after Hellebuyck did an outstanding job between the pipes as a young U.S. Team was able to bring home a bronze medal from Prague.

And don’t forget another Jets draft pick — 19-year-old Eric Comrie — played for Team Canada at the world junior championship and is considered a strong prospect.

The Jets have a wealth of goaltenders right now, which is great news for their future, but it’s Hellebuyck who is generating the most excitement.

Facing a number of NHL shooters at the worlds was good for him and it’s obvious nerves didn’t get the better of him when facing a high-pressure situation.

Perhaps more important than the eye-popping numbers he produced during the competition, was how calm Hellebuyck looked in doing so.

“Connor’s play is one of the main reasons we got to where we did, in achieving the bronze medal,” Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards, who was the head coach for Team USA, said this week.

“I didn’t know what his role was going to be. I didn’t know any of the roles for any of our goaltenders, because I didn’t know how it was going to unfold.

“His game was completely in control. He had some moments. I think in the Swiss game pucks were hitting him and there were a lot more rebounds. I don’t know if that was the nerves of the game, but in the Czech game he was tremendous. Just tremendous.”

Fans have every reason to be excited about what Hellebuyck might do in the future.

But the key word remains — “future” — though his arrival at the next level might be sooner than many expected.

Yes, Hellebuyck had a tremendous AHL season, posting strong numbers, receiving recognition as an All-Star and showing he can handle a heavy workload, which is a question mark for all goalies who are used to playing a college schedule.

But there is no reason to rush him along.

The standard for how to handle goalie development is Cory Schneider.

While realizing that everyone develops at a different pace, remember that the Vancouver Canucks first-rounder in 2004 needed three full seasons in the AHL before he was ready to become the backup to Roberto Luongo and didn’t steal the starting job until his sixth professional season.

Hellebuyck looks like he’s slightly ahead of Schneider in terms of his development curve, but to expect him to step into the NHL in the fall in his second pro season is unrealistic.

This past season was a bumpy ride at times for Ondrej Pavelec, but his ability to regain the starting job down the stretch and help push the Jets into the playoffs was reason enough for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to back him once again as the No. 1 guy.

What happened at the worlds doesn’t change that, even if some on social media saw the bronze medal game between the Czech Republic and the Americans as a possible referendum for who should be the Jets’ starter.

Furthermore, Hutchinson (who will be on a one-way contract next season) had a strong rookie campaign in the NHL and deserves the shot to be back as the backup and continue to push for more.

For those who suggest that Hutchinson’s rise shows that the same could happen for Hellebuyck, let’s not forget Hutchinson was in his fifth pro season in 2014-15, not his second.

But what if Hellebuyck outplays Hutchinson during the pre-season?

At this stage of the game, it doesn’t make sense for Hellebuyck to serve as an NHL backup.

He needs to be playing and the best place for him to do that — at least for the time being — is with the Manitoba Moose, where Comrie also figures to be pushing for playing time as he tries to work his way up the depth chart.

A crowded crease can present some challenges, but having high-end prospects like Hellebuyck and Comrie waiting in the wings figures to bring out the best in all the netminders in the system.

Just like Hutchinson’s strong play helped push Pavelec to post the best numbers of his career, Hellebuyck’s ascent means that those above him on the depth chart know that he’s coming along ahead of schedule and they’ll need to continue to play at a high level to hold him off.

Solid six-pack

Winnipeg Jets goaltending depth chart

Ondrej Pavelec

Age: 27 (28 on Aug. 31)

27 (28 on Aug. 31) How he was acquired: Chosen by Atlanta Thrashers in second round (41st overall) in 2005

Chosen by Atlanta Thrashers in second round (41st overall) in 2005 Contract status: Signed through 2016-17, average annual value of $3.9 million

Signed through 2016-17, average annual value of $3.9 million 2014-15 stats: 50 GP, 22-16-8, 2.28 goals against average, .920 save percentage, 5 SO for Jets

Michael Hutchinson

Age: 25

25 How he was acquired: Signed by the Jets as a free agent on July 19 of 2013, then signed to a two-year deal on July 1 of 2014

Signed by the Jets as a free agent on July 19 of 2013, then signed to a two-year deal on July 1 of 2014 Contract status: Signed for 2015-16 on a one-way deal that has AAV of $575,000

Signed for 2015-16 on a one-way deal that has AAV of $575,000 2014-15 stats: 38 GP, 21-10-5, 2.39 goals against average, .914 save percentage, 2 SO for Jets

Connor Hellebuyck

Age: 22

22 How he was acquired: Chosen by Jets in fifth round (130th overall) in 2012

Chosen by Jets in fifth round (130th overall) in 2012 Contract status: Signed through 2016-17 on a two-way deal that carries an AAV of $667,500 in NHL

Signed through 2016-17 on a two-way deal that carries an AAV of $667,500 in NHL 2014-15 stats: 58 GP, 28-22-5 with .2.58 goals against average, .921 save percentage, 6 SO for St. John's IceCaps of AHL

Eric Comrie

Age: 19 (20 on July 6)

19 (20 on July 6) How he was acquired: Chosen by Jets in second round (59th overall) in 2013

Chosen by Jets in second round (59th overall) in 2013 Contract status: Starting his two-way, three-year, entry-level deal that carries an AAV of $646,666 in NHL.

Starting his two-way, three-year, entry-level deal that carries an AAV of $646,666 in NHL. 2014-15 stats: 40 GP, 20-19-1, 2.87 goals against average, .914 save percentage, 1 SO for Tri-City Americans of WHL

Jussi Olkinuora

Age: 24

24 How he was acquired: signed by Jets as a free agent on Apr. 7 of 2013 after two seasons with University of Denver Pioneers of NCAA

signed by Jets as a free agent on Apr. 7 of 2013 after two seasons with University of Denver Pioneers of NCAA Contract status: Pending restricted free agent on July 1

Pending restricted free agent on July 1 2014-15 stats: 43 GP, 27-9-6 record, 2.41 goals against average, .916 save percentage, 1 SO for Ontario Reign of ECHL

JamiePhillips