I'm not a Canes fan and I have to say that this doesn't make any sense. Aho is more valuable than Laine and he's the only viable top center on the Canes. No team in that position would trade such a player for a winger, 40 goals or not.
Exactly. They are 9 months apart in age and entered the league at the same time.
Aho: 310GP, 121G, 263P +38: Career high 38G in 68GP (this season), 83P in 82GP (last season)
- Plays C, plays on the PK, plays in all situations.
Laine: 305GP, 138G, 247P, -1: Career high 44G in 82GP, 70P in 82GP.
- Plays W, doesn't PK, doesn't play in all situations.
Aho averages 32G, 70P / 82 games through his career
Laine averages 37G, 66P / 82 games through his career
Tapi seems to ignore that adding Laine but subtracting Aho doesn't really improve the offense in Carolina. on average, 5 more goals / season but 4 less points / season through their careers. Over the last 3 seasons, Aho has only scored 4 less goals than Laine TOTAL (97 vs. 102).
Laine is a better goal scorer, no doubt, and I think through their careers, will score more goals than Aho. His shot is a weapon, but Aho is the more productive player overall while playing a more important position and in all situations. Removing Aho and adding Laine doesn't help Carolina offensively, it probably hurts them when you look a the whole package. Adding the 10th OA pick doesn't make swing it enough.
This isn't "fan bias", it's common sense.