Now that's fun!

Columbus might actually accept IMO, but Tavares says absolutely not.

Tavares as a kid had Leaf sheets and was coming home. So explain why he waives for Columbus?

Because the Leafs were beginning to get tired of their Tavares sheets taking up space in their closet when their were nice, newer sheets that they could use.

So Tavares does them a solid (I think his contract is set up as mostly signing bonus. If true, the Leafs pay him and he heads to Columbus to help boost that team with Johnny Hockey). Laine isn't highly thought of by the coach so a change of scenery is made. In this case they take back a player who can immediately hop into their Top 6.

With Nylander picking up the pace heading into his Prime, Laine should pick up more goals with the Leafs. If it's not Nylander setting him up it'll be Marner. The result is two deadly snipers in Laine and Matthews on two separate lines. On the PP, the shot could come from either side of the ice instead of predictably Matthews. I think Laine would find himself again.

OR.... It's all make believe and I had fun passing the time making this.

Laine with the Toronto media would be a firestorm