NHL trade rumors: 5 teams that should trade for Patrik Laine

If contract negotiations don’t go well, the Winnipeg Jets may have to look at trading Patrik Laine. Here are five teams who should try to acquire him, plus potential trade packages they could offer up.

The Winnipeg Jets were one of the NHL’s biggest letdowns of 2018-19, falling to the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues in the first round after opening the season as one of the true Stanley Cup favorites.

Winnipeg wasn’t able to regain any of the swagger from last season when they finished with 114 points en route to a trip to the Western Conference Final.

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Now, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has to be ready for some roster tweaks as he tries to get this club back on track for 2019-20.

Jets fans hope it doesn’t come to this, but there’s a possibility that they may have to trade All-Star sniper Patrik Laine, who dropped to 30 goals in 2018-19 after scoring 44 last season.

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the 21-year-old ” is willing to explore all of his options,” including the chance to sign an offer sheet elsewhere or requesting a trade if contract negotiations don’t go well.

It’s hard to envision the Jets letting Laine go, given his age and the fact he’s already scored 30 or more goals in each of his first three seasons. But you have to be ready for everything, and if Cheveldayoff can’t reach a contract with Laine, he’s going to have to explore the possibility of dealing the No. 2 overall selection from 2016.

Before we start, I’d like to point out that no Central Division teams made the list, because it’s highly unlikely that Cheveldayoff would want to deal one of his franchise superstars to a competitive rival. Now, let’s take a look at five teams that should look at acquiring the Winnipeg superstar, and what they could possibly give up in return.

5. Florida Panthers

Perhaps no team has more to offer Cheveldayoff in a Laine trade than the Florida Panthers. But because they seem intent on getting two top-tier free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, we can’t put Florida any higher than at No. 5 on the list.

If Tallon signs both players, he simply wouldn’t have the cap space to sign Laine to a long-term contract. But it’s not like the Panthers are a lock to get Panarin at this point; there are plenty of teams that will compete hard for his services. And if Tallon doesn’t manage to land Panarin, he could theoretically shift his focus towards Laine.

The Panthers have built up one of the most enticing young cores in hockey, but they’ve missed the playoffs in each of the last three years now. With legendary head coach Joel Quenneville taking over behind the bench, Florida has to be aggressive in trying to build up a championship-caliber roster for him.

Tallon probably wouldn’t want to give up his franchise stars in Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, or Jonathan Huberdeau, but there are plenty of other pieces he could offer up to Cheveldayoff. A potential trade offer like this might work.

It’s hard to imagine Cheveldayoff being interested in prospects or draft picks, since the Jets are built to win now. Tallon gives him those pieces by surrendering veteran Mike Hoffman and speedy winger Frank Vatrano.

Those two aren’t as young or skilled as Laine, but they’d both help the Jets compete for a Stanley Cup while the window is open. Hoffman has scored 20-plus goals in each of the last five seasons — including a career-high 36 for the Panthers this season. He would have no problem replacing the offense Laine leave’s behind on the top line.

The 25-year-old Frank Vatrano enjoyed a career year with 24 goals and 39 points this season. He would be able to play anywhere in Winnipeg’s top six, and you can bet he’ll build upon his breakout year on a stacked Winnipeg team.

Florida gets the youngest and best all-around player in this deal, but the Jets add two quality top-six forwards to complement their other stars.

3. New York Islanders

The New York Islanders were one of the biggest surprises in 2018-19, recording 103 points to make the postseason under new head coach Barry Trotz. And this was despite losing franchise star John Tavares to the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency last year.

Thanks to a breakout year from veteran goalie Robin Lehner, the Islanders allowed the fewest goals in the regulars season (196). But the defense-first system meant sacrificing scoring, and New York ranked 21st in that category (228 goals for). Without a doubt, they need to bring in one or two more big-time goal-scorers.

Captain Anders Lee is a pending UFA and has yet to sign a new contract. Ditto for winger Jordan Eberle, who’ll probably test free agency. There’s a good chance Lee stays with the Isles, but the team needs another scoring winger — especially with Eberle likely on his way out.

The Islanders — loaded with defencemen and NHL-ready prospects — should be able to offer up a nice package to the Jets for Laine. General manager Lou Lamoriello would probably have to give up at least three significant pieces: Two quality roster players and a prospect that’s ready to turn pro in 2020.

Loaded with quality defensemen, the Islanders can afford to move on from Nick Leddy, who would fill in a top-four spot for the Jets. And with a plethora of quality young forwards, they can sacrifice Anthony Beauvillier (21 goals last season, 18 in 2018-19) and prospect Oliver Wahlstrom.

This may seem like a lot to give up if you’re the Islanders, but none of their forwards project to be consistent 40-goal scorers like Laine, and they still have more than enough guys who can put up 20-something goals. Clearing out Leddy’s $5.5 million cap hit for three more years opens up space for Lamoriello to extend Lee and Laine. The Jets also need an impact forward in return, and they get it in Wahlstrom — the 11th overall selection in last year’s draft.

It’s a great move for both sides, as they each secure pieces that will help them compete for a Stanley Cup in 2020.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Thanks to a stingy defensive system implemented by first-year head coach Rod Brind’Amour, the  Carolina Hurricanes, a “bunch of jerks”, were a feisty and relentless team that ended a 10-year playoff drought.

The Hurricanes dethroned the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals in the first round, before sweeping the Islanders in round two. They wound up being on the wrong end of a sweep via the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Final, but it was an extremely successful season in Raleigh nonetheless.

Now, the goal is for the Hurricanes to try and build off that run. They can do that by adding in some more offense, as Carolina ranked just 16th in goals scored (245) during the regular season. Justin Williams, who finished second in goals for Carolina with 23, hasn’t confirmed if he’ll come back for another season or not. It’s crucial that the Hurricanes find a way to replace his scoring in case Williams does retire.

The Hurricanes would be an excellent trading partner for the Jets because Cheveldayoff needs to upgrade his blue line big time. And Carolina has more than enough defensemen, so they can afford to move one out in a trade for Laine.

Back in January, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Hurricanes had been “asked about” Dougie Hamilton and he believed they would “consider” trading away the hulking 6-foot-6 blueliner.

The Jets desperately need a top-four blueliner with Tyler Myers slated for free agency, and with RFA Jacob Trouba likely to be traded in the offseason. Hamilton, who’s totaled 35 goals over the last two years, would be an excellent addition to Winnipeg’s blue line. He’s a good skater, elite puck-mover and reliable power play quarterback. He would be a big upgrade over both Myers and Trouba.

But the Hurricanes would probably have to sacrifice a top-six forward here to make the deal work, and the Jets replace Laine by receiving Nino Niederreiter. The latter has registered four 20-goal seasons and would be a nice addition to their first or second line. It’s a two-for-one trade, but the Hurricanes are receiving an elite goal-scorer to join their young core, so it’s well worth it.

1. Montreal Canadiens

Even though they missed out on the postseason for the third time in four years — this time by just two points — the 2018-19 season has to be considered a major success for the Montreal Canadiens.

Goalie Carey Price shrugged off any suggestions that he was past his prime, winning 35 games while posting a .918 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.49. As far as we’re concerned, he remains the face of the franchise. Max Domi (28 goals, 72 points) and Tomas Tatar (25 goals, 58 points) enjoyed superb first years in Montreal. And with prospect Ryan Poehling and 2018 first rounder Jesperi Kotkaniemi ready for big years in 2019-20, the future is looking ultra promising.

And with bundles of picks in this year’s draft, general manager Marc Bergevin can easily afford to part with some of his prime prospects, young roster players and selections if it means landing a world-class goal scorer like Laine.

The 21-year-old Laine has the makings to be a perennial 40 to 50-goal man, especially with a center like Kotkaniemi feeding him the puck. Laine would take Montreal’s offense to a whole new level, and if you add him to this young core, the Habs would suddenly be in excellent position to compete for a Stanley Cup.

Many of the top Stanley Cup contenders don’t have the young assets to offer up like Bergevin, who could propose something like this to Cheveldayoff:

Jonathan Drouin has yet to break out since joining the Habs in a 2017 offseason trade. He’s tallied just 31 goals and 99 points in 158 games as a Canadien. That prompts Bergevin to make him the centerpiece of a Laine blockbuster.

Playing with Mark Scheifele should be the answer for Drouin, who could finally break out as a 30-goal man on this star-studded Winnipeg team. The Jets, likely to lose right-handed blueliner Myers in free agency, would get a fine replacement in Jeff Petry. Cheveldayoff would also get a third-round pick in a deep 2019 draft, something he could even use as trade bait.

No team is in a better position to sacrifice some of its top assets for Laine, plus Bergevin has the cap space to sign him long-term. It’s a nice return for Winnipeg, and it’s a bonus that they trade Laine out of the Western Conference.