Patrik Laine
Position: RW
Age: 26
Contract: Two-years, $8.7 million
Statistics: 6 goals, 3 assists, 9 points (18 games)
Player Overview
Here we go again with the Patrik Laine trade sweepstakes. The 2016 second-overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets finds himself in the trade mix once again, as confirmed by Pierre LeBrun of TSN. LeBrun confirmed that the Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to work with Laine and his representation to facilitate a fresh start.
It wasn’t long ago where he was shipped from the Winnipeg Jets to Columbus Blue Jackets for Pierre-Luc Dubois. Now, he is likely om the move again, as he looks for a fresh start in his young career.
Laine is only 26 years old, so there is plenty of good hockey left in the tank. His biggest weapon is his shot and is a natural goal scoring winger. It does not have the same aura around it like when Alexander Ovechkin does it, but his one timer from the face-off circle is a masterpiece.
He got off to a hot start in his career with the Jets, showing he was worthy of that number two selection. In his first four years with Winnipeg, he surpassed the 50-point mark each year. This includes having a career year with 44 goals and 70 points in 82 games during the 2017-18 season. Laine is a weapon on the power play, as he has 123 points on the man advantage in his career. Although, things have changed a bit.
In his tenure with the Blue Jackets, it has been up and down. After coming over during the 2020-21 season via trade, he only posted 10 goals and 21 points across 45 games. Things picked up a for him, as he had back-to-back 50 point seasons. However, health was not on his side, as he played only 50-plus games during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He was limited to only 18 last season. Specifically, in 2023-24, he was absent as he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.
Contract
Any trade for Laine is worth inquiring about not only due to his established top-six, goal-scoring capabilities, but also because he is not a rental piece. He currently has two years left on his contract and makes $8.7 million per season. It’s a steep price to take on, but he is worth asking about.
Given the nature of the trade request, and only two years being left on the deal, maybe the Blue Jackets would be open to retention, knocking the quite high $8.7 million figure down.
Potential Fit For With The Devils
There is a perfect fit for Laine in the Devils lineup. Whether he would be paired with Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes, either center is getting a scoring winger. The Devils have numerous players that can contribute offensively and are not strangers to making plays. However, the Devils could use a bonafide goal scorer and a player with a shoot-first mentality.
During the 2023-24 season, the Devils had six 20-goal scorers. Adding a player like Laine gives them more firepower and an added weapon. Also, Laine would be a boost on the power play, which finished 13th in the league with a 22.4% success rate. Laine had a wicked shot and fetching passes from Hughes or even Jesper Bratt is salivating.
A top-six consisting of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Laine sounds extremely enticing.
Does A Laine Trade Make Sense?
The fit is there and there is no question that Laine would be a boost in the Devils lineup. However, if Columbus were not to retain in the deal, it may not make a ton of sense. The Devils currently have $19.1 million in salary cap space and need to fill a few other positional holes. Allocating $8.7 million of that to a, albeit strong top-six player, with question marks, while needing to fill other holes, would be quite risky.
In order to facilitate any type of trade, the Blue Jackets would need to retain salary on the current deal. $8.7 million is a large amount of money that the Devils should not eat in whole right now, as that would leave them with under $12 million. If the Blue Jackers retain salary, then this could make sense and be worth adding to the group. But unless that happens, the Devils adding extra goal scoring would have to come from somewhere else.