We’re not trading Laine. This is silly talk to trade a guy like that for an unproven pick when you could trade him for a top centre currently in the league. Teams would deal a good player or players to get Laine. Guy is just starting to round out his game. I see 40 goals in his future.
You don’t think Laine can fetch a 1A centre?
For me at least, part of the debate on if we should trade Laine is his contract status and what his expectations are on a future contract. He has one year left at $6.75 M and then he will need to be signed to his long term contract. If he is still looking to be paid on his draft day potential I see the negotiations being very difficult in a cap depressed environment. Being arb eligible that is a likely path IMO and once he goes to arbitration after a bridge he is on the UFA track to call your own shot at 25 y/o. At that point his trade value will be a fraction of what it is now as we saw with Trouba. If it was possible to trade him for a young #1 C signed long term that would be ideal, I just don't think any team trades that away.
Okay, not sure you’re following. Not asking for McDavid Crosby McKinnon. If you don’t like the term 1B then let’s call it #2 centre, guys in the range of Zibinajed, Hertl, Larkin, Nugent Hopkins etc. Not the elite centres but the next tier. Still a great top 6 centre to fill our need as opposed to an unproven 18 year old kid. I think that’s a doable trade. Not that I’m targeting guys above but there is a large tier of potential centres there.
This... the concept of a Laine trade hinges on whether he's willing to sign long term on a deal that fits reasonably within the Jets' salary structure. If so, you sign him and keep him. If not, you trade him sooner rather than later to reshape the core.
You could agree that surely we can do better than an unproven 17 year old draft pick? I mean no draft pick is a sure thing. Why not make a good hockey trade. I mentioned it before in another thread (when I suggested a Ehlers/Connor and Pionk trade) why not add someone to it like Pionk. What would Laine Pionk fetch? A damn good centre. Look at the centre the Flames got. Lindholm is a great centre and they got him (not to mention Hanifin too) in a package involving Hamilton and Fox. We can make a great trade to change the core for proven NHLers, that's the route we go if you want to trade Laine due to contract complications, not for an unproven kid. Byfield could be great, or he could the next Puljarvi or Patrick. I think we can find a great centre much like the Flames did. Not the elite but the next best tier which is still damn good behing Scheif.
I'm all for a hockey trade to fill in with a very good young C, but there aren't many such players available.
Agreed that a hockey trade would be ideal. I'm not sure of signing dates with a paused season and hub playoffs, but under normal circumstances Laine could be re-signed as of July 1st. I'm hoping that Chevy is trying to work on that extension, and if there is interest and reasonable numbers being discussed and go that route and get him signed. If all our wingers are signed long term it would give Chevy more leverage and flexibility in any trade discussions.
Unfortunately Crosby/Mackinnon types will be the guys we will need to carry our 2nd line without any top 6 wingers on it. Once a laine trade happens and wheeler is aged out 1/2 years imo. We have No one to play rw anymore. really no one that wonderful I’d want to brag about anyways.
Interesting they have Rossi going either 4 or 5.
