The Winnipeg Jets have traded Patrik Laine for Columbus Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois in a rare in-season blockbuster trade of two young NHL stars.
As Winnipeg Jets fans went to bed on Friday night, they had dreams or nightmares of never seeing Patrik Laine in a Jets jersey again based on rumors floating about a potential trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Early Saturday morning there was confirmation that Laine had been traded along with holdout Jack Roslovic for Blue Jackets top center Pierre-Luc Dubois and a 2022 third round draft pick.
Reaction around the NHL has been mixed, with some indicating that Laine has a greater upside and a rarer talent in terms of his goal scoring ability. Others have identified that Dubois is a legitimate top line center which is a position that ultimately is more impactful on a team than a scoring winger.
Early analysis suggests that given that it was publicly known that both players wanted out, both general managers did a good job of dealing with a difficult situation early and maximizing the return.
Kevin Cheveldayoff took questions from the media this morning and based on his responses, here are three reasons why Patrik Laine was ultimately traded.