Just In: Updated Landing Spots for Blue Jackets Superstar Forward Amid Massive NHL Trade Rumors

On June 18, we put together a list of potential offseason landing spots for Patrik Laine, following a report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun indicating that both Laine and the Columbus Blue Jackets agreed to explore a trade.

The 26-year-old has faced a challenging time with the Blue Jackets, struggling with injuries and inconsistency that hampered his ability to score. In January, he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to focus on his mental health and well-being.

Although the Blue Jackets were permitted to trade Laine while he was in the program, neither they nor any interested teams could communicate directly with him. Fortunately, he was cleared by doctors on July 26 to return to Columbus.

Now, Jackets general manager Don Waddell can discuss Laine’s preferred trade destinations with him. Laine has a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract, which runs through the 2025-26 season with an average annual value of $ 8.7 million.

However, trading Laine at this point in the offseason may prove challenging. Many teams have exhausted a significant portion of their salary cap by making trades and signing free agents this summer. Finding a team willing to absorb his full salary may be difficult, which could lead Waddell to retain up to 50% of his salary to facilitate a trade.

Some teams from our initial list have already addressed their roster needs or lack the salary cap space to acquire Laine. Now that this former 44-goal scorer is available for discussions, it’s time to update our list of potential destinations.

Feel free to share your thoughts on this matter in the app comments below!

Carolina Hurricanes

This summer has seen significant changes for the Carolina Hurricanes.

They had to trade Jake Guentzel, whom they acquired at the trade deadline, to the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 30 to avoid losing him to free agency. In addition, forwards Teuvo Teräväinen and Stefan Noesen, as well as defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, also left the team as free agents.

Winger Martin Nečas was often mentioned in trade rumors this summer due to reports about his dissatisfaction with his role on the team. However, those rumors subsided after he signed a two-year bridge deal on Monday.

Teams may have been holding off on trade talks until Nečas’ contract situation was resolved, with the Blue Jackets potentially in that group.

Don Waddell, the former Hurricanes GM who knows Nečas well, might consider including Laine in a deal, envisioning Nečas as a center for his top two lines.

Alternatively, the Hurricanes could explore trading Laine for Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The 24-year-old has had difficulty living up to expectations as a second-line center with the Hurricanes. He has four years remaining on his contract, which has an average annual value of $ 4.82 million.

While Laine has a higher cap hit, his contract is for half the term of Kotkaniemi’s, which could appeal to Carolina.

The Blue Jackets would gain a younger player with a longer contract but a lower average annual value, who might thrive in a less pressurized environment.

Montréal Canadiens

We initially included the Montréal Canadiens in our list of possible trade destinations for Laine due to their pressing need to improve an offense that averaged just 2.83 goals per game last season—one of the lowest in the NHL.

According to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes tried to sign former Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault on July 1, but Marchessault chose to join the Nashville Predators instead.

With the free-agent market limited, Hughes will have to pursue trades to acquire a scorer.

Recently, the Canadiens have been connected to Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Nečas and Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras. However, it seems improbable that Hughes could acquire either player without paying a premium.

Marc Dumont from Montréal Hockey Now mentioned the benefits and drawbacks of adding Laine to the Canadiens. While his cap hit is significant, it only lasts for two years, and his age aligns well with their rebuilding efforts. Additionally, the Blue Jackets’ asking price might be reasonable.

Bringing in Laine would be a risk for the Canadiens, but it could yield great rewards, similar to their successful acquisition of Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames two years ago.

They possess the draft capital and depth in promising prospects to take on this risk, especially if Hughes can negotiate for the Blue Jackets to retain a substantial part of Laine’s cap hit.

Pittsburgh Penguins

On July 24, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins have a projected $ 3.5 million in cap space for the 2024-25 season. He outlined four options for general manager Kyle Dubas, including the possibility of adding another winger.

Vensel mentioned that there are limited options in the free-agent market and expressed skepticism about the Penguins acquiring Patrik Laine.

Still, Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski included Laine in his list of potential scoring targets for the Penguins on July 5, and three weeks later, he continued to believe that Laine would be a good fit for the team.

Kingerski pointed out Laine’s struggles in Columbus but noted that he still managed to score 51 goals in 129 games over the past three injury-plagued seasons. He thinks the former 44-goal scorer could rediscover his form with the right mindset and motivation, especially if paired with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, which could enhance his offensive output.

For the trade to work, the Blue Jackets would need to retain part of Laine’s salary, and Dubas would have to send a player with a salary to Columbus. While this could complicate the deal, Dubas is accustomed to navigating such situations, as evidenced by his three-team trade last summer to acquire Erik Karlsson.

Utah Hockey Club

The Utah Hockey Club made headlines this offseason by trading for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 29. They further strengthened their defense by acquiring John Marino from the New Jersey Devils.

General manager Bill Armstrong might have another unexpected move in mind, potentially adding a seasoned top-six scorer.

Utah boasts promising young forwards like Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Mattias Macelli, and Josh Doan, along with skilled veteran winger Nick Schmaltz. However, Clayton Keller remains their only standout scoring star.

The former Arizona Coyotes are looking for a fresh start in their new home and could be an ideal destination for a winger like Patrik Laine, who is also seeking an improved situation.

Laine’s ability to play on either wing adds versatility to Utah’s forward lines, and he has some recent experience playing center. At 26, he fits well with the team’s young core while bringing valuable NHL experience.

Utah has the capacity to take on Laine’s full salary cap hit and possesses a solid pool of draft picks and promising players on their roster, making them well-positioned to negotiate a competitive deal with the Blue Jackets.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals made several notable trades this summer.

Their most significant move involved sending goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for center Pierre-Luc Dubois. They also traded defenseman Nick Jensen and a draft pick to the Ottawa Senators for blueliner Jakob Chychrun.

Additional deals included sending a draft pick to the Calgary Flames for winger Andrew Mangiapane and trading two draft picks to the Vegas Golden Knights for goalie Logan Thompson.

Following these transactions, the Capitals promoted Chris Patrick to the position of general manager, while Brian McLellan continues as president of hockey operations. However, their activity in the trade market may not be over.

On July 24, NHL.com’s Dan Rosen discussed the possibility of the Capitals pursuing Laine. He pointed out that the Capitals cleared up $ 3.9 million in cap space due to the Carolina Hurricanes buying out former Caps center Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract. Additionally, center Nicklas Backstrom is expected to go on long-term injured reserve, and winger T.J. Oshie may follow suit, potentially providing enough cap room to acquire Laine.

Sammi Silber of The Hockey News noted that the Blue Jackets might prefer to receive draft picks and prospects for Laine rather than a current roster player. They have a wealth of promising talent in their system and additional picks in the 2025 draft available for trade.

Laine could be a suitable addition if the Blue Jackets agree to retain some of his salary.