It’s not every day that a 22-year old sniper is made available on the trade market, but according to
Frank Seravalli of TSN Laine is in play this offseason.
Coming off of one of the strangest seasons in league history, trading a young and upcoming 22-year old would only add more strangeness to the hockey world.
But the Jets have serious needs and moving Laine could help fill those needs. The Jets have just four picks in October’s Entry Draft and on the ice, the Jets are desperate for help on the blueline, especially on the right side.
The losses of Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba, Ben Chiarot and Dustin Byfuglien have given the Jets an immediate hole to fix, one that needs to be fixed if the Jets plan on improving on what was a disappointing playoff performance in August.
Laine’s 138 goals in 305 career NHL games is nothing to ignore, as Laine someday should easily be able to score 50 goals in this league.
But what if the Jets considering a trade of the former second overall pick is simply because when his contract expires after the coming season, the Jets just won’t be able to give Laine what he has earned to be paid?
“The only reason I can see that happening is if for whatever reason they can’t believe they can sign him long term. It’s going to be a big number, there’s no question about that. But that’s the only reason I could see it,” said Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in a raido interview
with Sportsnet’s Hockey Central.
“Or the return is so ridiculous that you can’t say no. I think Winnipeg is going to look to add on to their blueline, I don’t think there’s any question about that, particularly on their right side where they got decimated by Myers leaving, Trouba leaving and Byfuglien sitting out.
Trying to calculate what a return for Laine would look like makes my brain hurt. But you would think it would start with a 1st round pick, a young NHL ready right-shot defenseman and a top prospect.
“Defenseman, particular righthand D are very hard to find in this league, especially top-two, or top-four guys. I really think if Laine is getting dealt and he’s going into the second year of a two-year deal which would put him two years away from unrestricted free agency, that says to me Winnipeg thinks they can’t keep him if they’re trading him.”
When I look across the league and think about who really needs a top-line winger, has an enticing first round pick in 2020 and has a right-shot defenseman that can immediately slide into the Jets top-four, the Buffalo Sabres instantly come to mind.
It’s no secret that captain Jack Eichel has been disappointed with the lack of success since the Sabres drafted him with the second pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. But I’m willing to bet putting a player with the skills that Laine has next to Eichel will help him quickly forget about the suffering he’s gone through in Buffalo to date.
If the Sabres followed the above package to start, we’re talking about the eighth overall pick in the 2020 Entry Draft, 25-year old Rasmus Ristolainen and either top prospects Dylan Cozens or Rasmus Asplund.
The Jets have a hole at the number two center position, and while Cozens is not quite ready to fill that yet, another dominating season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL could pave the way to Cozens making an NHL impact in the not too distance future.
The Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes are also teams that have been linked to the Jets if Laine is truly available, but I don’t think Montreal has the same firepower to strike a deal with the Jets that the Sabres or Hurricanes have.
Max Domi—who is listed three slots behind Laine on Servelli’s TSN trade Bait Board is a nice option as the winger does have center experience, but the Habs lack that young NHL-ready defenseman the Jets would need.
In his latest edition of LeBrun rumblings Wednesday afternoon,
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun mentions the Hurricanes as a possible suitor for Laine.
As LeBrun discusses in his rumblings, 26-year old Jacob Slavin is untouchable and while 27-year old Dougie Hamilton is coming off of the best season of his career, he’s got just one year left before becoming an unrestricted free agent, making him a less attractive piece to Winnipeg.
LeBrun also mentions Vincent Trocheck and Brett Pesce as potential options in a Jets trade with the Hurricanes.
Whether or not the Jets are serious about moving their talented young winger remains to be seen, but it sounds like when the phone of Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff begins to ring, and on the other line is a fellow league GM interested in Laine, he’s going to be listening.
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