The Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets completed a trade that saw each team receive a disgruntled superstar from the other. Wing Patrik Laine is on his way to Columbus, while Pierre-Luc Dubois is on his way to Winnipeg.
Dubois told Blue Jackets management that he wants to trade while he negotiates for his recent two-year, $ 10 million pre-training contract. Until recently, the front office did not necessarily have to comply with his request immediately, when coach John Tortorella decided to play the number 3 pick of the 2016 draft in the first period of Thursday.
Laine, meanwhile, told his agent on TSN that it would be ‘mutually beneficial’ for the 22-year-old and Winnipeg franchise to separate this off-season. He appeared in just one game for the Jets this year due to a torso injury and is currently sitting in the injured reserve.
Dubois has been an absolute stud for the past few seasons, with his best year in the 2018-19 season, where he scored 27 goals and 34 assists. The following year, he scored 18 goals and 31 assists, but he also sprinted a point per game in the post-season with four goals and six assists through ten games. Laine was an All Star in 2017 in a season where he scored 44 goals and 70 points.
Also part of the deal is Jack Roslovic, a Columbus native who is returning to his hometown. Columbus also gives Winnipeg his third choice in the third round in 2022.