Friedman: Blue Jackets looking to rebuild as GM shopping Laine

Laine, along with Jack Roslovic, was traded to the Blue Jackets from the Winnipeg Jets in the middle of the season in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois. While Dubois hasn't exactly set the world ablaze, Laine was expected to deliver a lot more when he originally came in Columbus. With his new team, he only scored 10 goals and 21 points in 45 games, and he fought with head coach John Tortorella early and often.

Tortorella is definitely out of the picture today, but there's speculation that Laine, a restricted free agent, may also be out of the picture in Columbus. The Blue Jackets are projected to go through a rebuilding process over the next three seasons, and it would be unexpected if Laine decided to stick there to see it through. Seth Jones, the team's star defenseman, is rumoured to have sought a move this offseason, and it wouldn't be shocking if Laine did as well.

From Friedman's most recent 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet:

I'm curious to see if Florida asks about Patrik Laine. He and Aleksander Barkov have a good relationship. The Panthers are expected to be aggressive in pursuit of improvement.
Interesting.

I've got to say... I love it.

Credit: HockeyFeed