Laine for Dubois

 Simon B

    Over the weekend, the most obvious trade happened in the NHL. Pierre-Luc Dubois was shipped to the Winnipeg Jets from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Patrick Laine and Jack Roslovic. Roslovic was not a big part of the trade to let's take him out of the equation for a moment.

Backstory

    Laine went second overall in the 2016 draft just behind Auston Matthews. Dubois got taken one pick later at number three. At the time, they were both high-end prospects. Laine was a sure bet for going second. Some even thought that he could give Matthews a run for his money to go first overall. Dubois was in the conversation but most people thought that Jesse Puljujarvi (Highest rated European prospect) would go third. Columbus took Dubois to the surprise of most and it turned out to be the right decision. Puljujarvi went fourth, to Edmonton. He struggled mightily there and spent a season back in Finland to try and prove he was still NHL-caliber. 

Why Trade Away Such Talent?

    Both stars played very well for their clubs. Laine is a perennial 40-goal scorer (when healthy) and Dubois is an excellent number one center. However, there was a bit of a falling out between player and team for both these guys. Laine, a winger, wanted to be playing with the Jets' number one center, Mark Scheifele on the top line but he was slotted in on the second line. Dubois was amazing for the Jackets in the Bubble. He showed how good he really is when he's going at 100% in the 5-game mini-series against the Maple Leafs. However, he was constantly getting yelled at by head coach John Tortorella. Everyone knew that Laine wanted out of Winnipeg but Dubois did something really uncommon. A sign-and-trade. This is when a player extends his contract with a team then requests a trade. Players do this to ensure that they will be with their new team for a good period of time. Dubois signed for two years at 5 million per season. With Laine wanting out of Winnipeg and Dubois wanting out of Columbus, it was an obvious trade.

The Fit

    Patrick Laine is a goal scorer. He's got a wicked shot and can be a 50-goal scorer most years. Columbus is a very defensive team. They don't have much high-end talent. They focus on keeping the puck out of their net, scoring one or two, then shutting their opponent down. Laine will probably be on the top line here with Nick Foligno as his center. His two-way play (which is when a player plays responsibly on defense and offense) will need to improve. I can see Tortorella deploying his the way he did with Artemi Panarin (star player who is now with New York). Let Laine roam free on offense and allow him to display his talent there but make him be more responsible in his own end. 

    For Dubois, he's probably going to be eased into their lineup. He already has to serve a 14-day quarantine in Winnipeg so he won't be with the team for a while. He won't be the top center either. I see him on the second line. He adds a good amount of depth to this team and he can provide an excellent scoring touch when he's going all out. Dubois' father is also part of the Jets organization as a coach for their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. In his last game in Columbus, Dubois was only played for 3 minutes after he had a first shift in which he glided around center-ice not doing his job at all. That'll get you benched by any coach, any time. Winnipeg will need to present him with a new challenge to bring back the high-octane scoring threat he can be.

The Wrap

I didn't mention Roslovic who was going to Columbus with Laine. He's going to be a depth option on the wing for the Jackets and he was what they call a "throw-in piece" to the trade. I seem to think that for now, Columbus won the trade. They're getting a 40 to 50 goal scorer and in hockey goals win you games. Dubois is a nice fit in Winnipeg but he hasn't proved he can be elite season after season yet. That could change however

    Thanks for reading! I’d love your comments and questions. 

Please like and share with friends, and take a moment to subscribe (Head to the sidebar and sign up in the "Subscribe" Section) so you’ll get all my regular pieces on the NHL as well as the post-game review after every Leaf game this season!