Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine was released from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program Friday, sparking speculation that a trade could follow at some point in the near future.
It was reported in June that Laine and the Blue Jackets were working together to facilitate a trade. New president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell said earlier in July that teams remained interested. Clubs wanted to speak with Laine directly, though, and no team - even Columbus - was able to do so while he was in the program.
Now, trade talks can conceivably heat up.
There's no guarantee that Laine gets moved. After all, between injuries and entering the program in January, he was limited to just 18 games in 2023-24, and he registered a measly nine points. He missed 53 contests due to injury in the two prior seasons, too. His $8.7-million cap hit - for the next two campaigns - is a big number for teams to absorb, especially at this point in the offseason.
On the flip side, Laine was nearly a point-per-game player in the two injury-riddled campaigns before 2023-24. He averaged 37 goals per 82 contests in his first four NHL seasons. He's still only 26 years old, and there's a decent chance the Blue Jackets would be willing to retain a portion of his salary. The asking price likely isn't overly steep, either.
So while acquiring Laine would carry plenty of risk, the Finnish sniper also brings undeniable upside. Here are the five most logical trade destinations, ranked by fit on a scale of one to five:
Pittsburgh Penguins
Fit: ★★★★★
There may be no better spot for Laine to rejuvenate his career than in Pittsburgh. Drew O'Connor - who posted a career-high 16 goals and 17 assists in 2023-24 - currently projects to occupy a spot on the Penguins' top line with Sidney Crosby. It's fun to imagine the potential chemistry between an all-time great playmaker like Crosby and a pure shooter like Laine.
The Penguins could also desperately use Laine's presence with the man advantage after ranking 30th in power-play percentage last season. Laine's lethal one-timer from the left flank - with passes from Erik Karlsson at the point - could be what's needed for Pittsburgh's power play to come together.
Pittsburgh also has $3.5 million in cap space and could create more room by including a depth forward such as Lars Eller ($2.45-million AAV) or Noel Acciari ($2 million) in a deal for Laine. It's the type of big swing president of hockey operations and GM Kyle Dubas needs to make if he wants to give his aging core one last chance of making a run.
Colorado Avalanche
Fit: ★★★★☆
The Avalanche's cap situation is quite murky. Valeri Nichushkin will remain suspended for at least the first month of the season, so his $6.125-million hit won't count against the cap. Neither will Gabriel Landeskog's $7-million cap hit, as the captain is expected to remain on LTIR to begin the campaign.
Both Nichushkin and Landeskog could return at some point in 2024-25, but there's also a real possibility neither do. That means the Avalanche could have as much as $16 million available or as little as $3 million.
Without Nichushkin and Landeskog, the Avalanche have a significant void in their top-six forward group. Unproven rookie Nikolai Kovalenko is currently projected to play right wing on the second line. Laine, though, would be a great fit in that spot alongside playmaking center Casey Mittelstadt and hard-working left-winger - and fellow Finn - Artturi Lehkonen.
If the front office believes it could make a Laine trade work from a money perspective, Colorado's high-flying offensive attack could be a perfect place for the sniper to rejuvenate his career.
Vegas Golden Knights
Fit: ★★★☆☆
The Golden Knights have been big-game hunters since joining the league under the front office of George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon, making notable trade or free-agent splashes year after year. But they've been suspiciously quiet this summer, not making any significant additions while holding about $2 million in cap space.
That's obviously not enough money to bring in Laine, but if somebody like Nicolas Roy ($3 million) and/or Brett Howden ($1.9 million) is sent back the other way, it would be rather easy to make a trade work from a financial perspective.
It's fair to question how Laine would fit under a stern, defensive-minded head coach in Bruce Cassidy, but the role is obvious; the Golden Knights have a dire need for a legitimate, top-six winger. Victor Olofsson and Pavel Dorofeyev are currently projected to occupy such spots, but Laine would be a significant upgrade over both.
Seattle Kraken
Fit: ★★☆☆☆
The Kraken boast plenty of depth on the wings and don't have an obvious need for Laine in their top-six forward group, but they could certainly use a player with game-breaking, offensive ability up front. Laine, when at his best, brings exactly that.
Seattle has $6.4 million in cap space but still needs to re-sign restricted free agent Matty Beniers. Most of that remaining cap space will go to Beniers, but the Kraken have plenty of mid-sized contracts they could conceivably move out to swing a deal for Laine.
The Kraken's offense regressed from fifth in 2022-23 when they made the playoffs to 29th a year ago when they missed the postseason by a wide margin. Adding Laine could potentially go a long way to getting their offense back on track.
Buffalo Sabres
Fit: ★★☆☆☆
Buffalo's offense also faced significant regression in 2023-24, dropping to 23rd after finishing third the year prior. Unlike the other teams on this list, the Sabres could absorb nearly the entirety of Laine's salary, as they have $8.5 million in cap space.
The fit isn't exactly perfect, though. The Sabres have plenty of young wingers who would surely love to grab hold of top-six wing jobs, such as JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn, and Zach Benson. None are as proven or have the goal-scoring upside of Laine, though. It's also unclear how Laine would mesh with old-school head coach Lindy Ruff.
But Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has already shown a willingness to utilize his deep prospect pool to improve the NHL roster, as evidenced by the Ryan McLeod-for-Matt Savoie trade. The fact that Laine has two years remaining on his contract and could potentially come at a bargain price might be tempting for a GM desperately trying to end his franchise's 13-year playoff drought.
(Cap source: PuckPedia)
