Patrik Laine, Blue Jackets Working Together On Trade
Patrik Laine wants a fresh start and the Blue Jackets seem more than happy to oblige. Don Waddell is the new man in charge in Columbus and he’s green-lighted a future trade sending Laine out of town. Long story short; add Laine’s name to the list of available players during the 2024 NHL Offseason window.
VIA TSN’s Pierre LeBrun:
“That’s the goal from everyone involved. … (Laine) would like to move on,” LeBrun said. “His agent has had conversations with the Blue Jackets about it, and both sides are gonna work together to try and get that done. He wants a fresh start. Hasn’t been a good time in Columbus.”
Few things that should be mentioned before we close.
Laine, 26, entered the player assistance program on January 28th and is still in the program. That’s going to impact his value one way or another. Does that mean Columbus is willing to eat 50% on the contract? Can you get a third team involved to drop Laine’s AAV even further?
Two years are remaining on Laine’s contract as he currently carries an AAV of $8.7 million. He also carries a 10-team no-trade list. For a guy who put up a 34-goal pace the last two seasons on a bad team, it’s certainly intriguing if Columbus retains on that money.
Blue Jackets acquired Laine with Jack Roslovic from Winnipeg where they sent bum Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick the other way. That was back in 2021. Now Laine will be on the move again. Hopefully, to a team that’s more of a contender than Columbus is.
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