First off you cant just randomly put healthy players on LTIR that's not how that ish works at all.

Second, PIT can't take the risk of a Mantha bounce back

Third, Columbus and Rust say no to the Laine trade.

Sorry, Columbus has exactly 0% interest in trading their 25-year-old elite scorer for an aging <.5 ppg Rust and spare parts.

I don't like the trade either but to call Poulin (22yo former 1st) and POJ (24yo NHL ready dman) "spare parts" is disenguous.

Toews has already announced he’s stepping away from hockey and may not play at all this year.
Kane will likely sign only with NYR.
Mantha is terrible.
Columbus declines.
0/4

Not really. At 22-years-old, the fact that he's a former 1st is irrelevant. It would maybe matter if he was 20.

POJ is a fine 3rd pairing dman, but 3rd pairing dmen are easily replaceable, so those are spare parts when we're comparing to the value of Laine, a top-line winger who has scored at a ppg pace and has 50 goal potential when fully healthy.

Kane has been rumored to have interest in EDM, COL and BUF. NYR hasn't been on the list.

Bunch of scraps for laine? Kick rocks

And you can toss Edmo & Colo off that list.

I'd imagine being there post-TDL last year soured him on the Rags.

They're certainly better than "spare parts", but Columbus' issue isn't depth at the moment, so they don't move the needle. Neither look like much more than 2nd-pair/middle-6 potential, which Columbus has plenty of. The one thing we currently and historically have struggled with is developing and keeping stars/elite players. Trading an arguable one away in Laine is just the opposite solution we're looking for.

Poulin is a wild card but at his best, he is a middle 6 center. That isn't nothing.

POJ has a floor of 3rd pair dman. His ceiling is top pair but he will likely end up a middle pair. Not great buy valuable.

Rust is older but is cheaper and has more goals and points in the last 3 years. Laine has more goals and points per 60 but he is constantly hurt. Rust also has more physicality and kills penalties.

Laine is NEVER healthy. He hasn't had a full season in 4 years.

Now, I would rather have Laine than Rust and if I were CJB, I would politely decline, but a top 6F + a B prospect + a middle pairing Dman is around the price of an oft injured star player in their mid 20s who makea 8+MM per year.

I agree. Columbus isn't looking to do this, but the value is close to fair if they were.

Rust wouldn’t be in the jackets top 6. POJ would be third pair at best on the jackets and poulin wouldn’t make the roster.

Where Rust would rank against Columbus forwards with 500+ min, 5v5:
Expected Goals: 1st
Goals: 2nd
Points: 4th
Ice time: 3rd
Hits: 6th
Penalty Min Drawn: 3rd
Expected Goals per 60: 1st
Shots per 60: 1st
High-Danger Shots: 1st
Medium-danger Shots: 1st
On-Ice expected goals against per 60: 1st
Xcreated goals: 1st

So in a down year, Rust would be a top line forward on CBJ by stats and would replace Laine on the top line.

POJ would be bottom pairing LD if Werenski is fully healthy. But he has the upside of a 2nd pair so that just makes Columbus deeper.

Poulin may or may not make the roster but he would likely be an injury call-up as he will be for the Penguins this year.

Again, I'm not saying this is a good trade (Rust would also veto it) but Rust would he a top 6 F on Columbus, POJ would make the defense deeper and better and Poulin has value.