3 Possible Trade Destinations for Blue Jackets for Patrik Laine – Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

Pierre LeBrun of TSN reported on June 12 that Columbus Blue Jackets’ leading scorer Patrik Laine is looking for a new team jersey to wear and that they will try to accommodate that request. In their Insider Trading segment, LeBrun specifically stated that trading is “a goal for everyone involved.” He said, “[Laine] I would like to continue. His agent has had discussions with the Blue Jackets about it and the two sides will work together to try to get that done. He wants a fresh start.”

Laine has been a solid piece for the Blue Jackets during the Brad Larsen era by averaging a shade under a point per game. When he was hot, he was the team’s best player. However, when he was not there, he often seemed invisible. Under Pascal Vincent in 2023-24, he was installed as a center for the first time in his career looking like a fish out of water. Then injuries came before he could ease into the pivot position and he missed 64 of 82 games.

To be clear, any trade for Laine would likely involve salary retention for the Blue Jackets. His $8.7 million cap hit over the next two seasons could be tough for an opponent. He also only played in 52.4% of the possible games over the past three seasons for a number of reasons including injury and entering the NHL Player Assistance Program. He’s not quite the coveted asset he was when the Blue Jackets acquired him from the Winnipeg Jets in 2021.

Whether you are 26 years old, you can still bounce back and have the ability to contribute to a contender, to any team looking to score points, or to be important in a coaching role with a small team. Let’s take a look at other teams who may be interested in running for Laine.

Carolina Hurricanes

This seems too good to be true. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell – who was hired in Carolina – made a powerful trade back to his old team. The pieces are there to make this interesting. Martin Necas of the Hurricanes is another player who is said to be looking to switch positions. It certainly won’t be a one-man trade, but if the Blue Jackets keep some salary for Laine and add some sort of asset — maybe a defenseman or an NHL-ready prospect — they could probably make something happen.

Related: Blue Jackets’ Don Waddell’s Best Moves as GM

Laine is Carolina’s equal in many ways. He has a history of kicking ass with Sebastian Aho. The pair were part of the best line in World Junior history along with Jesse Puljujarvi. The trio scored a combined 17 goals and were the top three scorers in Finland’s 2016 gold medal win. The Hurricanes need a lethal scorer and Laine can bring that anywhere in the attack. He plays on the left and right sides which makes him capable of entering anywhere in the top six. If he can stay healthy, he could be a huge asset. The key could be that in Carolina he won’t need to be their best player and can comfortably slot in as the second or third best option between Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.

NHL Utah

There is no better starting point to have than a new NHL franchise. With new ownership looking to make a statement and plenty of cap space ready to be used, this could be a shot for a team that could potentially take Laine without retaining salary. Utah has 10 second-round picks and seven third-round picks over the next three seasons that could entice the Blue Jackets. They also get a full prospect pool. As for specific players that could catch Waddell’s eye, netminder Karel Vejmelka, who lost his starting goaltender to Arizona, would be a solid option to add to the package if the Blue Jackets decide to move on from Elvis Merzlikins this summer.

Utah has plenty of up-and-coming players like Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, Conor Geekie, and others who could use a seasoned veteran like Laine to help show them the ropes. He only has two years left on his deal which means Utah wouldn’t be in too bad of a position if they wanted to re-sign those key pieces to their long-term contracts in a few seasons.

The Detroit Red Wings

Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings have a history of taking on injury-prone players with high ceilings. Exhibit A: Robby Fabbri. Now this is a different story to be sure, Laine has a huge cap hit and thus can be a huge risk. However, he has also proven that he has a high ceiling when it comes to his game and thus it can be a high reward. There would definitely have to be significant salary retention at work for this to work, but it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility…though not entirely unlikely.

If the Red Wings can hold on to Patrick Kane, it seems unlikely to me that they can make the playoffs with Kane, Laine, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat as a top six, especially with Dylan Larkin. and JT Comper down the middle. In return, the Blue Jackets could try to target a goaltender in Ville Husso, a big, middle-of-the-pack forward like Michael Rasmussen, who might be available, or some capital.

This one is unlikely to come from Detroit’s side because even though they have $29 million in cap space, they have contracts to sign high-skilled players like Raymond, Kane, and Moritz Seider, as well as deep guys like Shayne Gostisbehere, David Perron. , and Daniel Sprong. If more of those guys end up going, there’s a good chance this will come true.

Laine Can Fit Most Teams

Honestly, there’s a case to be made for many teams playing swing at Laine. I could see the San Jose Sharks or the Chicago Blackhawks looking to sponsor a rookie with proven scoring talent. Although Laine isn’t a defensive force, his laser beam shooting might catch the attention of Lou Lamoriello and the New York Islanders. Like the Red Wings, the Ottawa Senators have been in the headlines for far too long, and may consider a move like this to try to put themselves on top.

At this point for the Blue Jackets, just giving up a six-man roster spot for Laine may be enough value that the return may be worthless. If a team can get some quick scoring help, a top prospect, or someone with championship pedigree to come back in another way, they can consider it a big win.