Patrik Laine has left the NHLPA assistance program, what will a trade look like?

It appears that Patrik Laine has not rescinded his trade request, so let's take some time to look at several possible trade partners and what they might send back.

Looking back at what will likely be Patrik Laine's final game as a Columbus Blue Jacket, it would've been hard to consider at the time that it would be the end of his time in Columbus.

That game was on December 14th, 2023, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Laine had one goal in the game, a slick finish in front of the net off a sweet behind-the-goalie pass from Kent Johnson. It was something Jackets fans had come to expect from the scoring winger during his time in Columbus when healthy.

Unfortunately, another thing Jacket fans came to expect: he was injured in that game, and missed several weeks with a broken clavicle.

In late January 2024, Laine entered the NHLPA Player Assistance program and vowed to focus on healing his mental health. After a long half-year of hard work, the program cleared Laine to re-enter the active roster in late July, where he will be expected to report to Training Camp in September.

Unfortunately for CBJ fans, multiple sources over the last few weeks have reported that Laine has requested a change in scenery, requiring him to be moved out of Columbus.

The new general manager and president of hockey operations, Don Waddell, has been upfront about the interest in Laine from multiple teams. Now that he has been cleared, interested franchises are free to contact Laine to speak to him regarding his interest, the current state of his health, and expectations moving forward.

While we don't have a firm idea of who these interested teams are, let's take a moment to speculate on some of them and see what they might send back in return.

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.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are looking to reload following their deep run into the postseason this past year, but have been faced with a high level of roster turnover. And, the departure of General Manager Don Waddell to Columbus.

Gone are Max Comtois, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dylan Coghlan, Brady Skjei, Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce, Teuvo Teravainen, and Jake Guentzel from last year's roster.

While new GM Eric Tulsky has done a solid job of bringing in new talent following these significant departures, adding Laine to this already-stacked contender could be what both parties need to take the next step.

It's no secret that Martin Necas is working his way out of Carolina, and there's been speculation from day one of Don Waddell's tenure in Columbus that he may look to acquire Necas to add to the forward depth for the Jackets.

A straight up swap of the two players would likely work for both franchises, and I see it as the most likely outcome given their perceived closeness in value. Necas is a relatively young forward who has been a 0.66 PPG player during his career, and I feel that he would gel well in the top six of Columbus' lineup.