All-Star Patrik Laine Could Be Traded, says Winnipeg Jets’ GM

Patrik Laine with the Jets in 2019
Patrik Laine with the Jets in 2019. Photo by Mike Wulf/CSM/Shutterstock (10442900i)

Winnipeg Jets find themselves in a tough situation ahead of the 2019/20 season, experiencing cap issues while also having major depth issues on several positions. In order to try and get out of it, the Jets might go with the unpopular move and trade one of their best players.

In a chat with reporters on Friday, Jets’ general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed that there is some truth in trade rumors revolving around All-Star winger Patrik Laine.

“So we’re looking at all our options, including potentially trading different players,” said Cheveldayoff.

Laine has been a prolific scorer for the Jets since making his NHL debut in 2016, contributing with 138 goals and a total of 247 points in 305 regular-season games. Despite this, Winnipeg is ready to entertain the idea of moving on from the 22-year-old winger as it could be beneficial for the team in multiple ways.

Besides the fact that Laine could land them a couple of starters on the positions of need, he could also help them get a bit of salary relief considering a portion of his $6.75 million yearly salary would be off their books.

On the other hand, by trading Patrik Laine, the Jets would probably head to obscurity in the next couple of years as it would be hard to replicate his production on an already struggling team.

Reportedly, several teams already approached the Jets to talk about Laine, including Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, although no deal is imminent.

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