Fox adds:
«Despite the Finnish sniper's hot start this fall (10 points in 10 games) — a fine rebound from his dismal 2020-21 — injury and the tragic death of his father, Harri, at age 54 have halted both his and the Jackets' bid for playoff contention. Laine accepted a hefty qualifying offer last summer (one year at $7.5 million), but he'll again be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in the summer of 2022. GM Jarmo Kekäläinen cannot run the risk of inking Laine to another one-year deal and effectively walking an elite talent to unrestricted free agency shortly after he turns 25. So, does Laine want to commit long-term to an organization that has been shedding assets for futures and clearly needs several more pieces to contend?»
