Columbus Blue Jackets left winger Patrik Laine has two years remaining on his contract. Columbus was one of the worst teams in the NHL during the 2023-2024 season. The Blue Jackets don’t appear to be close to contending for a Stanley Cup Title. Several NHL teams could use the services of Laine. He is one of the players on the trade market before the start of the 2024-2025 season. Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks and Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets could also be traded before the start of the 2024-2025 season. Which team could Patrik Laine be traded before the start of the 2024-2025 season?
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are trying to make a splash before the start of the 2024-2025 season. Montreal was in the Stanley Cup Finals a couple of years ago where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. Heavy.com writer Cole Shelton thinks that the Columbus Blue Jackets should trade Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens for Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson. Matheson is no stranger to being traded to different teams. He was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to Montreal a couple of years ago.
Patrik Laine last season only played in 18 games for the Blue Jackets. He scored six goals and recorded three assists. His plus/minus rating was -10. For the 2022-2023 season, he scored 22 goals and recorded 30 assists, in 55 games played with Columbus. His plus/minus rating was -12. Laine is only 26 years old and is in the prime of his career. He was the second overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. Patrik Laine can no doubt help a contending team, but Montreal does not feel close to being a contender.
They play in a very tough Atlantic Division. The Florida Panthers, the Boston Bruins, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be the top teams again in that division next season. Why shouldn’t they make a move for Laine? The Tampa Bay Lightning will also be very good next season and could be a playoff team once again. Montreal could very well be a bottom-feeder in the Eastern Conference next season, but a trade for Patrik Laine could help them get out of the basement.
It would be very hard to believe that the Columbus Blue Jackets would trade him to a Metropolitan Division rival like the Pittsburgh Penguins or the New York Islanders. It would make the most sense for Columbus to trade Laine out of the conference altogether and potentially trade him for prospects. The Columbus Blue Jackets need to find a way to get rid of his contract and he needs to be with a contending team next season and not a bottom-feeder in the NHL.
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