Top Trades, Landing Spots for Jets Winger Patrik Laine

Now, it's serious.

Though Winnipeg Jets right winger Patrik Laine has been a popular mention in myriad trade stories for months, the chatter surrounding the 22-year-old Finn was ratcheted up a notch last week when TSN's Darren Dreger suggested the possibility on his "Insider Trading" show.

"The Winnipeg Jets know what their needs are," he said. "They need a No. 2 center and they need to bolster the top four on their blue line. Kevin Cheveldayoff—the general manager there—can't solely rely on free agency. … One way or another, Kevin Cheveldayoff is listening on Patrik Laine."

If the Jets are indeed interested in a deal, there will be no shortage of suitors.

And given the fact the Laine is only 22, certainly prolific and still signed for another year at $6.75 million, Winnipeg can afford to wait for an offer it can't refuse, rather than jumping at the first proposition.

Given that reality, the B/R ice hockey team took a step away from the ongoing Stanley Cup Final to consider the teams with the best chances to land the 6'5" superstar and what it might take to get things done.

Read on to see if your favorites are in the mix, and if you think the cost is worth it.

All salary-cap information courtesy of Cap Friendly.

It feels like a long time since the New Jersey Devils were relevant.

They've missed the playoffs seven times since losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Los Angeles Kings in 2012, and finished better than just five of 31 teams in the pandemic-snuffed 2019-20 regular season.

But they're also one of the league's youngest teams, which means success could return to the Garden State—particularly if the Devils able to add a player of Laine's caliber to a roster that already features a pair of recent No. 1 overall picks in Nico Hischier (2017) and Jack Hughes (2019).

Though New Jersey would probably like to ditch the two years and $18 million remaining on the ugly contract of former Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban, it's more likely a deal with Winnipeg would require a little more reward going back in the Jets' direction. That'd more likely mean defenseman Damon Severson, who's due $4.17 million for each of the next three seasons, and perhaps a cohort like young center Pavel Zacha, who's only 23 and is signed for two more years at $2.25 million apiece.

New Jersey also has three first-round picks in next month's draft, which could help break a lot of ties if other teams come in with attractive deals.

This one makes sense for a lot of reasons.

In terms of camaraderie, it'd bring Laine back together with 23-year-old center Sebastian Aho, who shared a top line with him on the Finnish team that won gold at the 2016 world junior championships.

But don't expect the Jets to pull the trigger just to reunite a pair of good friends.

Instead, it'd help Winnipeg because the Carolina Hurricanes have a glut of talented defensemen to choose from, particularly right-side blueliner Brett Pesce. The 25-year-old is under contract for four more years at $4.025 million per year and had four goals and 18 points in 61 games in 2019-20.

If it'd take two pieces to satisfy the Jets and the number-crunchers—perhaps an under-the-radar forward like Martin Necas, who scored 16 goals and 36 points this past season and still makes less than $1 million on an entry-level deal, would fit the bill. 

Another who could be the top name heading toward Manitoba instead is center/right wing Vincent Trocheck, who's scored just 21 goals across the last two seasons but had 31 goals in 82 games with the Florida Panthers in 2017-18. He's due $4.75 million for each of the next two seasons.

Any combination of Pesce, Trocheck and Necas might just bring Laine to the Atlantic Coast.

Bill Guerin is in a deal-making mood.

The Minnesota general manager has already dumped Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu since the Wild's qualifying-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks, so it'd be no great shock if he pushed chips to the center of the table when it came to bringing in a prolific young sniper like Laine.

"There definitely have to be changes," he said. "We haven't had success here. Things need to get better. That's just the way it is."

The Wild are top-heavy when it comes to defense and middle of the pack in terms of offense, and Guerin has made no secret of the fact that he covets a top-six forward, which Laine would provide.

Going the other way, Matt Dumba has played six full seasons in Minnesota, has been a double-digit scorer four times and is inked at $6 million a year for three more years.

Not to mention, the Wild have a top-10 pick in the first round of this year's draft and two first-rounders next year, which could nicely round out any transaction package.

It's been a while since the Montreal Canadiens have had a centerpiece.

The Original Six hockey hot spot caught fire again with a surprise elimination of fifth-seeded Pittsburgh in the qualifying round before falling in six games to No. 1 seed Philadelphia a round later.

What better to capitalize on that momentum than by bringing in an established NHL star?

Laine would fit that description and the Canadiens, thanks to a farm system full of high-end prospects on the way, have a selection of pieces to either offer to Winnipeg or to fill in if an established player goes.

Center Max Domi was born in Winnipeg when his dad, former enforcer Tie Domi, was playing for the Jets. He's a restricted free agent this offseason after making $3.15 million and putting up 44 points in 2019-20 after scoring 28 times and registering 72 points in 2018-19.

If Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin wants to mortgage some of the future to get things done, he could also send away 19-year-old Cole Caufield, a right winger picked 15th overall in 2019 and a point-per-game producer as a freshman last season at the University of Wisconsin.

Newly-signed full-time head coach Geoff Ward needs some scoring.

His Calgary Flames scored better than 3.5 goals per game in 2018-19, but saw that average plummet to less than three per game in the tumultuous 2019-20 schedule—then saw the team blow a 2-1 series lead in losing a first-round playoff matchup with the eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Stars.

Winger Laine changing his work address from Manitoba to Alberta would certainly address that chasm and the aforementioned disappointment, and it'd balance nicely on the books if he switched lockers with Calgary's Sean Monahan.

Monahan, a center with seven years of NHL service, tumbled from 34 goals to 22 and from 82 points to 48 last season, making him a prime candidate for a change of scenery. Given that a 10-team no-trade clause kicks in to his $6.375 million annual deal in 2020-21 as well, his days with the Flames are likely numbered.

If not Monahan, center Mikael Backlund makes $5.35 million for the next four years and already has a list of 10 teams to which he would accept a trade.