Patrik Laine Traded To Division Rival? Insider Reveals A Scenario Where Laine Gets His Mojo Back
Patrik Laine has looked like a shell of himself thus far but a change of scenery could see him go back to being one of the greatest goal-scorers in the world.
Laine's Slow Start In Columbus
Back in 2016, Patrik Laine looked like the next great goalscorer in the NHL. There was a legitimate argument that Laine had a higher upside than 2016 1st overall pick Auston Matthews as a goalscorer and that still partly reigns true. However, as it stands, Laine is far from Matthews and may never fill out to his true potential.
Having played in only 18 games so far for the Blue Jackets, missing some games with injury and others as a healthy scratch, Laine has only registered six goals and nine points. This equates to a 27-goal/41-point pace which is far from ideal for a player making nearly $9 million a year.
This lack of production has led to trade rumors and much speculation about a potential trade for the sniper.
Laine Linked To Washington
The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek recently suggested a major move that would see Laine head to Washington and learn from the greatest goalscorer of all time, Alex Ovechkin.
It is unknown what Washington would have to give up but they could potentially offer up Evgeny Kuznetsov in a swap as the two have similar cap hits. Kuznetsov has also struggled this season and the fresh start in Columbus could be what is needed for him.
Columbus will now have a hard choice on whether to trade their star while he still has high trade value or let him play and hope he finds his grove.
As seen on Hockey Feed - Monster trade scenario emerges for Laine!
| POLL | ||
Will the Blue Jackets trade Laine before the trade deadline? | ||
| Yes | 400 | 70.5 % |
| No | 167 | 29.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
