Joe Smith and Michael Russo wrote in The Athletic (subscription article) earlier today that not only does disgruntled winger Patrik Laine make sense for the Minnesota Wild, but the team kicked the tires on him at the 2024 NHL Draft. Quite obviously, the major hurdle in bringing Laine to the ’State of Hockey’ is his $8.7MM salary for the next two years with the Wild organization owning approximately $750k in cap space according to PuckPedia.
To make a trade work with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the general manager of the Wild, Bill Guerin would have to convince Don Waddell to eat some of Laine’s salary. Waddell has been adamant up to this point that he knows he will have to eat some of Laine’s salary for the next two years to facilitate a deal but is not interested in eating the full 50%.
Assuming that Guerin can convince Columbus to eat 50% of Laine’s contract for the next two years, Smith and Russo assert that forward Frederick Gaudreau and his $2.1MM salary for the next four years will almost certainly head the other way. Gaudreau performed very well under Blue Jackets’ head coach Dean Evason during his time with Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and between 2021-23 with Minnesota. The Wild wouldn’t miss much in their lineup if Gaudreau were sent the other way especially with the team bringing in Yakov Trenin on a four-year pact earlier this summer.
This is when a potential deal gets tricky for the Wild. The team could deal out forward Marcus Johansson and defenseman Jon Merrill to make the money work but Minnesota’s depth may not be adequate to defend a three-for-one swap. Smith and Russo argue that the team could look to move goaltender Filip Gustavsson in the deal but his inclusion may cause too many problems for Columbus in the long run.
Minnesota may have too many internal complications to make a move for Laine with how their salary cap structure currently stands. There is no surefire bet that Laine would even be a significant upgrade for the team either. Between 2021-23, Laine scored 54 goals and 117 points in 129 games for the Blue Jackets but injuries and off-ice struggles limited him to only six goals and nine points in 18 games last year.
If Guerin can confirm that Laine is fully recovered and ready to participate, there may be more reason to get aggressive on a potential trade. However, unless Guerin can pull off one of the craftier trades in the last several years, it does not appear the Wild will be able to get the job done.
No, it doesn’t. So why write an article about it? Even if Columbus retains 50%, which I don’t see happening they can’t afford it. What do they give up? Hartman and a pick/prospect? Then does that even make them better? Too many questions.
It would’ve been a lot easier next summer. I don’t know that I see this trade happening without a third team involved.
In that case, Rakell and a 5th for Laine, no retention.
Rakell has a modified no-trade clause. Columbus very well may be on his list
Maybe, but most players waive once a team tells them “we don’t want you here anymore.”
Not if it is to a place where he doesn’t want to go. Wouldn’t blame Rakell for not wanting to play in Columbis
Habs bound…no salary retention for Anderson and one of their young mid tier DMan like Harris or Barron..Not many options for a 8.5 million player coming off 6 goals
Why would Columbus take Anderson? They’re better off keeping Laine for the time being than taking an injury prone player like Anderson back
They have $8.5 million reasons…they could waive Laine and no team would pick up his contract
Anderson is a waste of space. Columbus is better off keeping Laine & let him rebuild some value than take on a player who is going to be injured. A mediocre Laine is better than Anderson
As a habs fan I agree that won’t take Anderson l. They either take Armiea with no retention or they do pay a portion of Lianes deal and only acquire picks/prospects or young NHL Dmen. I thought Armia, Harris/Barron, and a guy like Sean Ferrell maybe a pick in there to
Trading Laine for Gaudreau, Johansson & Merrill makes little sense for Columbus, especially if they are eating half Laine’s contract. That doesn’t improve them at all. They’d be better off trading Laine for prospects and/or draft picks than making that deal.
“Joe Smith and Michael Russo wrote…” That sentence should’ve started with “Though not entirely sober, Joe Smith and Michael Russo wrote…” This will not make the rest of the crew at The Athletic very happy, being besmirched like that. Minnesota can’t use #29 from CBJ.
Granted, if it wasn’t for bored sportswriters at deadline making $hit up to fill column inches, PHR would lose 25% of its material.
But even given that, a team at the cap CANNOT TRADE FOR $8.7 MM CAP HITS without going money-in/money-out. Period. Full stop. Those two bohunks could have just as rationally written “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if the Minnesota Wild could trade for Shotei Ohtani!”
As a Columbus fan let’s hope they trade for Elvis and Laine.
(✷‿✷)(/sarc)
I actually wouldn’t wish that on anybody.
If not Habs trade only other one that works is
Laine to Wild for Stump Merrill and have them eat the 13 mil of dead money owed to the 2 Dinosaurs Parise and Suter, but on a serious note as long as my team isn’t interested I’m happy.
I don’t know if they would be intereted, but I think Calgary is the best fit for Laine. He liked playing for Brad Larsen in Columbus & Larsen is now an assistant with the Flames. Laine had 108 points in 111 games under Larsen in Columbus. Larsen seems to be able to get the best out of Laine. Calgary has the cap space to take on Laine’s contract. Not sure what the return would be for Columbus.
Just so we are all clear, the return for Columbus doesn’t have to be anything. I’m pretty sure anybody willing to take Laine’s full contract with no retention could have him for “future considerations”.
Oh, sure. But what would be the point? The couple teams left with the money to take that on are in rebuild mode; those aren’t the teams that want or need a Laine.
As a Blue Jackets fan, I honestly feel sorry for any fan base whose team trades for Laine.