It's no surprise that Patrik Laine has reportedly asked for a change of scenery after the worst season of his professional career with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023-24. He was injured, he was healthy scratched, and he eventually ended up in the NHL/NHL Players' Association Player Assistance Program back in January.
And although the Finnish sniper's trade value is probably as low as it has ever been, there's a chance the Pittsburgh Penguins could look to acquire the former star, at least according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“On the trade market, there is one big-name winger — with a big shot and a big cap hit, too — that actually makes some sense for the Penguins: Patrik Laine,” wrote Vensel earlier this week.
The hockey insider added: “Yes, the same Patrik Laine who has been benched by two different coaches in Columbus, whose scoring stats have dipped a bit since his days in Winnipeg and who is coming off the most challenging season of his eight-year career. His switch to center predictably flopped, then-coach Pascal Vincent made him a healthy scratch and Laine later took leave for mental health reasons. He put up just nine points in 18 games with a minus-10 rating. He last played Dec. 14.”
With Laine wanting out of Columbus, and most likely getting traded before training camp, the Penguins could look to take advantage of a very skilled player whose trade value could not be lower.
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According to Vensel, the Penguins don't have a ton of players with significant value. All of Tristan Jarry, Rickard Rakell and Ryan Graves have bad contracts, while others — like veterans Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson — have full trade protection.
But the Penguins could still find a way to bring Laine to Pennsylvania, and it involves veteran forward Reilly Smith. Smith was brought over from the Vegas Golden Knights after winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2023, and he mostly struggled with his new squad. The 33-year-old recorded 13 goals and 40 points across 76 games.
Pittsburgh will most likely move at least one veteran to either get a different look going into 2024-25, or to create more salary cap space. And with just one year left on Smith's deal, would a one-for-one swap involving him and Laine make sense? Vensen thinks so.
“Shouldn’t a Smith-for-Laine swap appeal to both of these Metro rivals? The Blue Jackets get salary relief, with Laine’s $8.7 million cap hit for this season and next coming off their books, and could likely reroute Smith to another team. And the Penguins, without giving up a high pick or one of their better prospects, roll the dice on Laine, once a 40-goal scorer and feared power-play finisher.”
Still just 26-years-old, it's possible that Laine could return to his star form with a change of scenery. And with the Penguins badly in need of some good younger players, it could make sense for general manager Kyle Dubas to pick up the phone and give new-GM Don Waddell a call in Columbus.
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