Rumour: Patrik Laine on the move
According to Luke Fox of Sportsnet, Jackets sniper Patrik Laine will get traded before the March 21st' trade deadline.
Laine started the season hot with 10 points in his first 10 games but wasn't quite the same player after he took the leave of absence for the passing of his dad.
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?»
The jackets are currently on the outside looking in with a 15-14-1 record. Trading Laine could get them plenty of assets to build for the future. The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are among the teams interested.
