The trade rumor mill turns daily and as the Buffalo Sabres are still in search of a candidate to fill the hole left by Jeff Skinner’s departure in their top six, they have a perfect player to fit there in Patrik Laine. As a pure goal scorer with some size and plenty of youth still in him, he fits extremely well in the Sabres’ current scheme, and could be a valuable addition to their roster without making any significant subtractions. The Columbus Blue Jackets are not likely going to be competing for a playoff spot this season, so as they are in a more re-tooling/rebuilding phase, they will be looking for more prospects and draft picks as they offload someone like Laine. The Sabres have plenty of both.
How Does Laine Fit into the Sabres’ Roster?
Last season, Laine did not play a significant amount of the year due to injury, and over the course of the past number of years, he has struggled to remain healthy. Last season, he played 18 games and in the two prior seasons, he played 55 and 56 games. While staying in the lineup has been a bit of an issue, production has never been, and that is really where it will count. In 2021-22 he scored 26 goals and 56 points in 56 games, and in 2022-23 he scored 22 goals and 52 points in 55 games. Putting the puck in the back of the net is where Laine shines, and the Sabres could use someone like him to be a big-time finisher on one of their top two lines.
The question is which set of teammates would best suit him to complement his play style. He can be both a play driver and a finisher, as he possesses some incredible talent down the wing. Giving him someone like Tage Thompson down the middle and Alex Tuch on the wing could open up some great space, but I feel like it would not be the best use of him. Putting him with the likes of Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka would be a much better combination. Cozens drives plays up the middle, and Peterka can make plays happen with both his speed and tenacity. Combine those with his playmaking skills, and Laine would have linemates who can both set him up when he gets wide open and can and will finish the chances he creates with his playmaking abilities. The balance of goal scoring to playmaking between those three would be spectacular, and having Laine as another power-play threat would give head coach Lindy Ruff even more weapons to work with.
What Would it Take to Acquire Laine?
If the Sabres were to make a move for Laine, they would likely be moving one or more of their many prospects, along with a draft pick. Laine currently carries a cap hit of $8.7 million for two more seasons, so the Sabres could take on the full brunt of that contract in order to soften the blow on the return, but if the Blue Jackets wanted more and were willing to retain some of that salary, the deal could look a little different. As far as some potential trade options that stick strictly to prospect and draft capital returns, these are a few options I think both teams would consider:
- Sabres trade forwards Jiri Kulich, Prokhor Poltapov, and defenseman Ryan Johnson, and a 2025 conditional third-round pick (condition being if the Sabres make the playoffs, the pick is upgraded to a second-round pick) for forward Laine
- Sabres trade forward Noah Ostlund, and a 2025 first-round pick (no protection) for Laine
- Sabres trade forward Kulich, defenseman Maxim Strbak, a 2025 first-round pick (top 10 protected) and a 2025 second-round pick for Laine (50% salary retained)
- Sabres trade forwards Ostlund and Kulich and a conditional 2025 second-round pick (condition is that the pick can be upgraded to a 2025 first-round pick if the Sabres make it to the second round of the playoffs) for Laine (50% salary retained)
All of these moves take into account what Laine is and what he can be; a point-per-game player and 40-goal scorer. Since there is still some term left on his contract, the prospect and pick value going back is reflected there. The Sabres then get their top six scoring player, and the Blue Jackets get to continue building their franchise up. They get some good scoring prospects along with some possibly solid defensive prospects depending on which deal they would like best. As both teams make the swap, the Sabres take on the risk of keeping Laine healthy for a full season and hoping to get him back up to speed, but if they can, any one of these trades would be worth the price.
Should the Sabres Keep Laine Long Term?
If the Sabres did end up trading for Laine, they would have to decide on if they would keep him for the remainder of his contract, or beyond that. As they have their youthful team growing, players like Zach Benson, JJ Peterka, and Jack Quinn will all continue to develop and hopefully become regular top-six forwards. This would lead to someone being the odd man out. Laine could be that player if any of the aforementioned players stay on a positive development path and can be signed for cheaper than Laine would be; especially if Laine produces like he is capable of.
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Keeping him long-term is not a likely option, but keeping him for a year or two past his current contract would be a good idea for sure. Giving him a couple more years beyond the two remaining seasons would give the Sabres the flexibility to continue growing their young players, and it would allow them to keep the scoring group together. Consistency up front is a luxury that they could definitely use, and Laine becoming a consistent scoring threat (if healthy) would be a major asset for them. Seeing him in a Sabres uniform for 3-4 seasons would be a breath of fresh air, especially if he scores at the 40-goal pace of his early years.
