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Patrik Laine: the Habs have what the Blue Jackets are looking for in return

 Jennifer Davis
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Patrik Laine: the Habs have what the Blue Jackets are looking for in return
Credit: Getty Images

Patrik Laine’s name has been circulating in trade rumours for several weeks now. The forward, who asked the Blue Jackets to trade him, has been the talk of the town ever since.

The fact that he’s in the player assistance program right now doesn’t help, though. It means that other teams who want to talk to him before picking him up can’t do so.

That said, sooner or later, he’ll come out of the program, and you’d think things will get moving on the file.

The question now is, what do the Blue Jackets want in return? and recently, Aaron Portzline, who covers Blue Jackets activities, talked on TSN 690 about what the Jackets might be looking for in return for Laine.

And according to him, it’s mostly draft picks and prospects… and that’s something the Habs have.

In reality, GM Don Waddell has long insisted that he wants to complete a “hockey transaction”. That said, the Blue Jackets’ summer means that picking up reinforcements for the future may be more advantageous right now.

With Sean Monahan in town and the youngsters progressing, picking up an NHL player now may no longer be necessary.

Remember that the Habs have 12 picks in the upcoming draft, including nine in the first four rounds. Given the Finn’s imposing contract ($8.7 million per year for the next two seasons), the CH may not have to give up a first-round pick for Laine, but it could dip into its bank of picks in subsequent rounds, especially as it already has a well-stocked bank of prospects.

And if the Blue Jackets were to withhold money, that would make things even easier. The Habs aren’t as tight-fisted as they used to be when it comes to salaries, but retaining some flexibility would help the club.

We’ll see if the Habs go for it, but with a need in the top-6 and the resources to interest the Blue Jackets, there seems to be a path to a possible deal.

We’ll just have to wait and see when Laine comes off the assistance program, so the Habs can talk to him if they have him in their sights.


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