A report that the Winnipeg Jets have offered all-star defenceman Dustin Byfuglien to the New York Islanders for defenceman Travis Hamonic really should come as no surprise to anyone.

Who wouldn’t want to trade a 30-year-old pending unrestricted free agent for a 25-year-old with a long-term, team-friendly contract?

And why in the world would the Islanders be interested in such a deal?

Unless the Jets were to significantly sweeten that deal with younger players, prospects and/or draft picks, it simply wouldn’t make sense for the Islanders. Even then, Byfuglien for two-thirds of a year might not be enough return for a player with Hamonic’s ability.

So the Islanders said no.

But you can’t ignore the fact that if the report is true, it means the Jets are certainly willing to ship Byfuglien out this season for the right price.

The report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Monday also shows the Jets would love to have Hamonic, but aren’t prepared to trade either Jacob Trouba or Tyler Myers to get him.

The debate all off-season long and through the first 25 games of the Jets season has been about what the team will do with Byfuglien and fellow UFA-to-be Andrew Ladd, the team’s captain. The team would surely love to have both players back but they are both going to command big contracts with significant term and it’s possible the Jets can’t afford them.

So the other option is a trade and the Jets have to be at least listening to offers.

Byfuglien was not made available for comment on Monday, but all this can’t be great for the Jets team chemistry right now. Ladd and Byfuglien have been team leaders since the day the team arrived from Atlanta.

At least one and possibly both are on the trading block.

It’s hard to imagine that’s not affecting them and the team in a significant way.

OOZING CONFIDENCE

Rookie goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is sure to see some action this week, given that he won his only game last week and allowed a single goal, while Michael Hutchinson went 0-2 and allowed nine goals.

He’ll probably be in net Wednesday when the Jets take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Jets coach Paul Maurice was in no rush to anoint him the starter in place of the injured Ondrej Pavelec.

“The line is ‘Cats and shiny objects,’” Maurice said Monday. “Just relax a little here. Keep in mind that he’s played one game and he’s gonna get an opportunity to play more and he’ll get whatever he earns and deserves.”

Hellebuyck got the win in Minnesota Friday, stopping 14 of 15 shots that came his way, hardly a representation of what a normal NHL game is like.

Still, there is a lot of buzz surrounding Hellebuyck right now, prompting one reporter to say to Maurice: “He is kind of a shiny object right now, isn’t he?”

“Yup,” Maurice said. “One flash of light and we’ll see how shiny he is as we go forward.”

As for Hellebuyck, he’s looking forward to getting a chance to play on home ice.

“I don’t want to get too high but I definitely cherish the moment,” he said. “I’m soaking in the atmosphere and what the guys do and how they conduct themselves on and off the ice. I like to stay calm and let whatever happens happen.”

HUTCH IN TOUGH

Things have not gone well for Hutchinson since Pavelec went down with an injury and he became the de facto starter.

Hutchinson has lost his last seven starts and is 0-3 since getting a relief win on Nov. 21 against Arizona after Pavelec left the game with a knee injury. He has allowed 12 goals in those three losses.

He says he hasn’t lost confidence though and still believes he can be the goalie to get the Jets back on track while Pavelec is out.

“I’m still feeling good about my game,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a little frustrating when you go through a stretch where you don’t seem to be getting any bounces or coming up with that one big save that’s needed. At the same time, as long as I’m not letting outside shots in or letting pucks get through me, you’re still moving in the right direction. You have to keep battling and things will eventually turn your way.”

FIGHTING IGGY

Adam Lowry’s father Dave was a teammate of Jarome Iginla’s for four seasons with the Calgary Flames from 2000-2004.

That means the younger Lowry, a rink rat around the Saddledome in those days, spent a lot of time looking up to Iginla.

So it was a little strange to see the 38-year-old Iginla and the 22-year-old Lowry throwing knuckles at one another on Saturday night in Denver.

“Looking back, it’s a little strange,” Lowry said Monday. “But it’s just another hockey player and I was just trying to get our team sparked.

“Looking back now, knowing that they played together, it is a little weird, probably weirder for him than it is for me.

“I remember hanging around the rink and he was the face of the franchise. I remember some of his fights in the playoffs when they went to the Cup. He’s a good player and a fierce competitor.”