Jets Trade Laine, Roslovic to Blue Jackets for Dubois

The @Winnipeg Jets have traded @Patrik Laine and @Jack Roslovic to the @Columbus Blue Jackets for @Pierre-Luc Dubois and a 2022 third-round pick.

As of Friday night, the Dubois sweepstakes were heating up and the Jets, @Montreal Canadiens and @Anaheim Ducks appeared to be the front-runners. Despite other teams being in the mix, the Jets always seemed like the favourite to land Dubois, considering they had their own disgruntled star who wanted a change of scenery. On Saturday morning, all three of Dubois, Laine and Roslovic were granted their wishes of wanting a trade.

It’s a very interesting deal when you consider that the Jets took Laine one spot ahead of Dubois in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Dubois situation reached a tipping point on Thursday when head coach John Tortorella benched him for almost the entire game. With their backs up against the wall, the Blue Jackets were able to pull off a deal that acquired a former 40-goal scorer in Laine and a former first-round pick and Columbus native in Roslovic. Pretty tidy work from GM Jarmo Kekäläinen in an unenviable position.

For Dubois, he heads to Winnipeg where he will likely serve as their No.2 centre behind @Mark Scheifele. This deal will likely allow the Jets to keep the trio of Scheifele, @Kyle Connor and @Blake Wheeler together once Dubois arrives. Dubois is a strong play driver and will most likely be flanked by @Nikolaj Ehlers in what could be a very dangerous second line.

In Laine’s case, his search to play with a top-end centre will continue. He moves to Columbus where their centre depth is absent of a true No.1 centre. At first glance, it seems likely that he will land with @Max Domi. This deal also gives the Blue Jackets an abundance of right-wingers, as Laine and Roslovic have played there for the majority of their careers and join a group that already consists of @Oliver Bjorkstand and @Cam Atkinson. Bjorkstrand has played the left side at times, so there is potential for a Bjorkstrand-Domi-Laine top line, which could go a long way in improving all three of their fantasy outlooks.

In addition to the swap of players, the Jets retained 26 percent of Laine’s salary. This is the final year of Laine’s deal, so the Blue Jackets will look to extend him long-term. They also signed Roslovic to a two-year deal worth $1.9M AAV.