If you thought the Nashville Predators were done making big splashes this offseason, then think again if you ask some people out there. In what has already been a tremendously wild free agency summer, the Predators have to resist the urge of trading for Patrik Laine.
It would take a complex trade to acquire Laine, who was just released from the NHL Player Assistance Program and the Columbus Blue Jackets have made it clear they're set on trading him, per a recent report from Elliotte Friedman.
Good news on Patrik Laine: he is cleared to return from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Glad to see he is feeling better.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 26, 2024
Laine is still recovering from shoulder surgery. As for his NHL future, teams interested in acquiring him were told they are free to contact Laine.…
Laine and the Predators are a natural match due to the ongoing trade speculations of star goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov. The Blue Jackets are considered a top landing spot for Askarov due to them being in full-on rebuild mode and needing a franchise goalie for the future.
The Predators also need to free up some cap space through a trade or two. Moving Askarov alone wouldn't help much with that, but a larger trade package involving either Cody Glass ($2.5M) or Dante Fabbro ($2.5M) could help get the ball rolling.
SportsNet's Sonny Sachdeva wrote last month that the Predators are a potential landing spot for Laine, but this was before the free agency blowout bash the Predators did. Without a Stamkos signing, let's say he decided to stay with Tampa Bay like what many expected, then sure you could wrap your head around the Predators acquiring Laine much easier.
With that said, in that same piece for SportNet, it links Trotz saying Head Coach Andrew Brunette is an "offensive teacher and good power play coach".
""If you’re a former star scorer looking to get back on track, that seems like a good place to start. ""Barry Trotz, via SportsNet
Patrik Laine is a Massive Gamble that could pay off, but the Preds need to resist
Laine has battled injuries and off-the-ice issues that has hampered his ability to showcase his ridiculous talent to be among the most elite scorers in the NHL. His new landing spot could be his launching point back to that elite level.
Here's my thing on this; Laine is without question an immensely dynamic player who will help whomever ends up landing him. My main issue is the Predators have already gone heavy in shaking up the roster with Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, along with Brady Skjei for the defense and Scott Wedgewood as backup goalie to Juuse Saros.
The Predators have backed themselves up against the wall in terms of salary cap space. It took salary arbitration just to reach a deal under $1 million for a player in Spencer Stastney who has played just 28 NHL games.
The point is, the Predators have gone for broke to upgrade this roster into a Stanley Cup contender not for the distant future, but for right now and into 2025.
Laine hasn't played in more than 56 games in a regular season since 2019-20. He appeared in just 18 games this past season, but was a point-per-game producer the two seasons prior. He is a pure goal scoring winger, and the Predators already addressed that position of need with both Stamkos and Marchessault.
Preds weakness isn't at wing, it's their center depth behind O'Reilly
On top of that, the Predators don't look particularly weak at winger. They already have Filip Forsberg and Gus Nyquist figured to be the top line wingers again, and the future is bright for Luke Evangelista at right wing.
So where would that leave Laine without having to move one of those wingers? Would you be willing to break up the chemistry of Nashville's top line by moving Nyquist in a trade package to acquire Laine, while also unloading Askarov?
You'd also probably have to offer Columbus a first-round draft pick more than likely. I get the sense that Columbus GM Don Waddell is going to have a steep asking price for Laine and isn't just going to dump his star player at the curb.
Laine carries a current cap hit of $8.7 million for two more seasons. To even fathom a trade, the Blue Jackets would have to retain a good chunk of salary. We don't even truly know if the Blue Jackets brass is willing to negotiate retaining salary, and there will also be a lot of suitors that could turn into a bidding war. The math just doesn't math for me.
The Blue Jackets do have around $10.9 million in projected cap space according to PuckPedia, so they have room to not only retain salary from a Laine trade but also even take on one more year of Nyquist. That's the only way I can see this coming to fruition for Nashville.
If you think Stamkos was a home run swing, then if Barry Trotz were to pull of a trade for Laine, then you're talking all-time grand slam swings by a general manager. With the Blue Jackets retaining 50 percent salary and taking Nyquist and Askarov off our hands, then maybe this fantasy becomes a reality for me.
Would you run a top line with Forsberg, O'Reilly and Laine? Then make your 2nd line what you already have planned of Stamkos, Novak and Marchessault? It does make you think, but it also comes with an enormous risk.
I already really like where the Predators are at with the exception of their 2nd line center question revolving around whether or not Tommy Novak will be ready to take on that larger role with Stamkos and Marchessault.
Now obviously I could end up eating my words on this at this time next year, but I'm just not willing to roll the dice on Laine from the Predators standpoint. There are other teams out there who have more wiggle room to make this happen, but it's not the Predators.
There are too many hoops to jump through and too many risks. I agree on the front that Laine is a dynamic goal scorer that in a vacuum would be great for the Predators, but not in reality. The winger position isn't even the main issue for the Predators, it's center depth and Laine wouldn't help with that.