NHL general manager confirms a major trade is about to be made official
Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has confirmed that a trade for beleaguered winger Patrik Laine is close to being finalized.
Laine, who recently was eligible to return to the NHL after spending time with the NHL players assistance program has expressed a desire for a change of scenery and a fresh start. Waddell, along with his staff agree with Laine and have begun the process of looking to send him to a new home.
Laine has not had the career that he had hoped for in the NHL as he has battled injuries and other issues that have kept him subdued compared to what he was supposed to do when he was drafted back in 2016.
He currently holds a cap hit of around $8.7 million and it's likely that Waddell will need to retain some of that salary to craft the deal. Several teams have emerged as potential landing zones for Laine which includes the Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes and the Chicago Blackhawks.
General manager Kyle Davidson still has cap space remaining in his arsenal and landing a player like Laine could be a project that might pay off in dividends as he is seeking to restarting his career and getting back to the 30 goals a year.
With the recent improvements to the Blackhawks lineup, adding a player of his caliber might be worth looking into.
The Blackhawks starved offense for the last number of years and it's safe to say that if he was on the line with Connor Bedard and Taylor Hall it could bode well for the Blackhawks.
But in the meantime, speculation will run rampant, but one thing is for certain the odds of him remaining a Blue Jacket are virtually zero before the season begins.
Source: House of Hockey
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell confirms major trade news: Patrik Laine possibly?
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Should the Blackhawks trade for Patrik Laine? | ||
| Yes | 37 | 49.3 % |
| No | 38 | 50.7 % |
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