Former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton, now the executive vice president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens, has been linked to trade rumors involving Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine.
Under Gorton’s leadership, the Canadiens have shown interest in Laine since last season. This interest has grown since Laine was cleared to return from the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program two weeks ago. Laine, a former 40-goal scorer, entered the program in January for mental health treatment after playing only 18 games last season, where he scored six goals and nine points. Instead of returning from a fractured clavicle in December, he entered the program and missed the rest of the season, subsequently requesting a trade from Columbus in the offseason.
New Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell is looking for a “hockey trade” for Laine, who has two years remaining on his contract with an $8.7 million average annual value (AAV). According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Waddell seeks more than just draft picks and prospects; he wants a regular lineup player without retaining significant salary, a difficult task given most teams’ limited salary cap space at this point in the summer. In an interview with Brian Hedger of the Columbus Post Dispatch, Waddell acknowledged that some salary retention might be necessary: “We might end up eating some money. If I wanted to eat half, I could’ve traded him by now, but that’s not my first choice,” he said.
While the Rangers have a positional fit for Laine, the financials currently pose a problem. However, other teams might be able to make a Laine trade work.
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