Teams are still interested in Patrik Laine

Patrik Laine has been the talk of the town since the start of the off-season. In fact, Laine asked to be traded from Columbus before the Stanley Cup Final was even over.

We still have development, this time directly from the Blue Jackets’ new general manager, Don Waddell.

In an interview with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Waddell explained that there are still teams interested.

The Athletic: Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering
1. #CBJ coaching update: two candidates will travel to Columbus
2. Rick Nash’s growing role
3. Jet’s set for NHL future
4. Snacks: RFA Kirill Marchenko seeking long-term deal, Patrik Laine update, CBJ triviahttps://t.co/Uj1uEAvw3l

– Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 14, 2024

Based on the GM’s words, it’s clear that he’s in no hurry at all.

Laine earns $8.7 million a year until 2026. In an ideal world, the team acquiring him would ask the Blue Jackets to withhold part of the salary, but that doesn’t seem to be in Waddell’s plans.

The new Columbus GM is taking advantage of the fact that there aren’t many good free agents left to take his time. He’s aware that a few teams still have room under the cap to take on Laine’s contract, and that they’ll have it in the next few days.

So Waddell is in no hurry.

In fact, he’s the one with the big stick right now. The Blue Jackets still have $17 million under the salary cap, with a couple of compensated free agents set to sign new deals. Keeping Laine’s contract wouldn’t cause Waddell any trouble, although getting rid of it completely would be a plus for the years to come.

Waddell isn’t here to look pretty. He wants to get Columbus back on its feet, and paying part of the salary of a player who will be playing elsewhere until 2026 is probably not part of his plans.

If things stay as they are, we probably shouldn’t expect Kent Hughes to make a deal with the Jackets for Laine. It would be surprising if the Habs GM agreed to acquire a problem player and pay him more than any of the team’s forwards.

Once again, we’ll have to be patient. Waddell seems to know what he’s doing, and his patience could very well work in his favor.