Washington Capitals
Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan has been busy this offseason. The team is attempting to stay competitive while Alexander Ovechkin remains on the roster.
Still, following their first-round exit in four games to the New York Rangers, it became clear that they needed to add more talent to the roster to attempt to return to contention following the franchise's first Stanley Cup win in 2018.
MacLellan has added centers Pierre Luc-Dubois, Andrew Mangapiane, and goaltender Logan Thompson in three separate moves to replace the outgoing Anthony Mantha, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Darcy Kuemper; who were all lost in separate deals over the last year.
Despite adding on Center depth, the Caps could still use another scoring winger to play on the other wing across from Ovechkin with Dubois down the middle, and multiple members of the media are speculating the Capitals might be looking at Laine as that solution.
Laine has molded himself over the past few seasons into more than just the straight goal scorer he became known as during his first few seasons in the league. He's worked to balance out his play with solid playmaking skills and a better eye for passing the puck.
He totaled 138 assists in 174 games as a Blue Jacket over four seasons. He could work well next to a pure goal scorer like Ovechkin in the right system.
Determining what kind of return the Capitals might send back is tricky. They have some cap space to work with, assuming TJ Oshie retires or is put on LTIR, around the $4.5 million range, without making any other moves.
The Capitals also own eight draft picks in the first five rounds of next year's NHL Entry Draft, on top of having an underappreciated prospect corps. Without making any other moves, the Jackets would likely have to retain half of Laine's salary for the final two seasons on his contract or accept a bad contract in return.
Let's say the Capitals ask Columbus to retain half of Laine's remaining salary, for argument's sake. This request would likely add an additional asset or two. If the reports are accurate, Waddell is looking for picks and prospects in return.
I imagine the Capitals would likely send a mix of two third, fourth, or fifth-round picks and a middle-end prospect in their pool. Interesting names in the mix include Ryan Chelsey, Vincent Iorio, and Joaquim Lemay. Any proposal would depend on the handling of the Caps' salary cap situation, however, further speculation is difficult.