Patrik Laine Ready for a Fresh Start
Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The 26-year-old forward and former 2nd overall draft pick, Patrik Laine, is on the trade block. It has been reported that he wants a fresh start in a new city with a new team.
In the 2020–2021 season, Laine was traded from the Jets to the Bluejackets in a blockbuster trade at the time. At the time, Laine was in the last year of his contract, and an extension with the Jets was not going to happen.
With the Jets, Laine was viewed around the NHL as one of the league's best pure goal scorers, and some people around the league thought this guy could be a 50-goal scorer as he developed his overall game. In his 4 years with the Jets, he had 3 seasons of 30+ goals, including a 44-goal season in 2017-2018, in just his second year in the NHL at the age of 19 years old. His best years were when he was a teenager. The young stud wanted a payday, and he got it in Columbus, signing a 4-year contract extension for $34.8 million, coming out as an $8.7 million dollar cap hit per year.
It was a different story in Columbus. For the next 4 years, he had a hard time staying healthy, failing to reach the 60-game plateau every year with the Blue Jackets. Although he was still a very productive player, he was a point-per-game player in the 2021–2022 season, putting up 26 goals and 30 assists in 56 games. The following season, he would just be under a point per game with 22 goals and 30 assists in 55 games played. Then, most recently this year, he was battling issues with his mental health and had to step away from the game. He released a statement on social media about what he was going through:
Most recently, he and the Columbus Blue Jackets have been working with one another to try to find a new destination where Laine can be happy again. It should be noted that the Bluejackets have hired a new general manager, Don Waddell, who was previously with the Carolina Hurricanes for 10 years as their general manager. It will be Waddell's first test, as Laine has a lot of potential for only being 26 and having had the seasons he had as a young player. The big challenge is that Laine has an 8.7 million-dollar cap hit with two years of control, which could scare teams away.
My top 3 destinations:
Utah Hockey Club: Why not make a splash for the new team on the block and bring some more excitement and energy to a young hockey team looking to make a step forward? Laine would thrive in a new environment like Utah.
Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks have a lot of cap room, and a Bedard and Laine combo could be scary if Laine can find his game in Chicago. They also have the draft capital to give some picks up. It will be interesting if the Bluejackets want a roster player in return, draft picks, or even both.
Carolina Hurricanes: Could Don Waddell possibly pull off his first trade with the Bluejackets to his former team? I can see it, as it looks like the Canes are going to lose Jake Guentzel and Martin Necas. They need to continue to push, and a sniper like Laine could help a team that struggled to find offense at times in the playoffs. Sebastian Aho could set up Laine for many goals; it would be fun to watch.