There is no denying that the New York Rangers are the best team in the NHL this season. Their play out of the gate to start the 2023-24 campaign has been close to perfect, and they show no signs of slowing down. They have little to no holes in their game. Even after having to deal with injuries to a couple of their stars when Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox went down at the same time, they remained atop the NHL standings. They will be going all-in come the trade deadline, and one name could help push them over the edge into a Stanley Cup favorite.
Related: 3 Rangers’ Trade Partners in a Potential Blake Wheeler Deal
The Columbus Blue Jackets chose to make Patrik Laine a healthy scratch for a game this season, and he didn’t seem to appreciate that. His play warranted the scratch, and while it wasn’t a punishment, he seems to have taken it as such. With the Blue Jackets in the middle of a long-term rebuild, moving one of their stars in exchange for prospects and draft picks wouldn’t be an awful decision to make and would be one that helps bolster the Rangers’ already potent offensive output.
The Rangers have little to no cap space to work with, so bringing in Laine would be a tough ask. However, if there is a world where Laine is interested in joining the Rangers to help the team succeed and boost their offensive numbers, there’s no reason they shouldn’t try to make something work. With that being said, here is a brief look at Laine and his potential impact on the Rangers.
Who is Laine & How Would He Help the Rangers?
Laine is a 25-year-old forward from Tampere, Finland currently with the Blue Jackets. He was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets at 2nd overall after an extremely strong season in his home country playing for Tappara of Liiga, as well as an offensive explosion at the World Junior U20 Championships (WJC). With Tappara, he scored 17 goals and added 16 assists for 33 points through 46 games, and in the WJC, he scored seven goals and added six assists for 13 points through just seven games.
Laine was traded to the Blue Jackets along with forward Jack Roslovic in the 2020-21 season in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois in what was a blockbuster trade between the two sides. While Dubois has since left the Jets and signed with the Los Angeles Kings, Laine remains with the Blue Jackets. This season, Laine has scored five goals and added two assists for seven points through 15 games. Throughout his entire career, Laine has scored 203 goals and added 183 assists for 386 points through 477 games, which comes out to a 0.81 points-per-game average.
While the Rangers don’t have an issue on the offensive side of the puck, adding Laine would still be a game-changer that would help push the Rangers over the edge. He has been criticized in the past for his defensive game, but playing alongside two linemates who can play well defensively would be beneficial for him. The Rangers have plenty of forwards who are strong in the defensive zone.
Laine would easily fit on the first line over Blake Wheeler and would pair well with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, who both have sound defensive games. Bumping out Wheeler and dropping him into the bottom six while Laine replaces him creates an even more dangerous top-six forward group, likely making it one of the strongest in the NHL.
What Would it Cost the Rangers?
Laine has a hefty contract valued at $8.7 million per season and is on that deal until it expires after the 2025-26 season. While the Rangers could wait until they’ve accrued cap space and make a deal at the trade deadline for Laine, they’d still have to find $2.2 million to move out before being able to afford him if they chose to go that route. If that’s what they decide to do, it’d be a no-brainer to try and move Barclay Goodrow‘s contract out with a prospect and a couple of draft picks in exchange for Laine.
Goodrow’s contract does have a modified no-trade clause (NTC), as does Laine’s, making any deal even tougher, but this is something the Rangers should consider heavily if Laine ever showed interest in a change of scenery. He is an upgrade on the right wing where the team lacks depth, and with Kappo Kakko missing an extended period, Laine would be a perfect replacement for the foreseeable future.
The Rangers are back in action Sunday (Dec. 3) in a battle against the struggling San Jose Sharks. Hopefully, the Rangers can continue their red-hot start to the new season with a win against the worst team in the NHL and can take home their 18th win of the 2023-24 season.
