Quoting: CaseyFlyman
What's kind of ironic is you hit the nail on the head here, but came to the wrong conclusion IMO. What we clearly need is top-end talent, at all positions. Laine has shown he can be that, and should be that (he's been nearly a PPG player for Columbus). His value is extremely low right now, and he's not worth the deal.
Your conclusion is "Columbus should move him and save the money now". Columbus needs talent, and has tons of cap space. Even if Laine isn't sticking around when his contract expires, chances are good he bounces back at least enough to be worth something more to a contender at the 2026 TDL, when he could be had half-retained at $4.35M. That should easily return a 1st+. If he doesn't bounce back: his value stays about the same, but now the bad contract is conveniently a year shorter.
Cap-strapped competitive teams move out bad contracts; Columbus isn't that right now. The right conclusion, IMO, is to hold onto him.
See above for why we'd just tell Pittsburgh to f*** off, then. "Reasonable and what you should expect" reads "your player is s***, and your s***ty team should give us your s*** player for cheap", and there's exactly zero reason for Columbus to do that.
there is no point for CBJ to hold onto him though.
He's just taking up a roster spot from a younger player at this point. He's never going to hit his 8.7 mil worth playing 3rd line minutes. So he has to be a top 2. One of them is going to JG, Another to Marchenko. You got Kent Johnson who probably takes up a 3rd winger spot. You got a top pick coming in this year. I mean where is the room.
On top of it. you move out 8.7 mil in cap space to work on actually bringing in a longer term solution for CBJ. As far as top talent... that's what drafting in the top 5 year after year does. For a team that's rebuilding, what's the point of keeping a player that would help you win games in a rebuilding stage. That's not really the point now. In all reality you are looking at another top 5 pick the year after...and that's fine, again, where to put them.
If you are concerned with "getting value" back, remember guys aren't necessarily brining back the kind of value you think right now. You are more likely to get value on term than player raising their value.
The fact that everyone will know you have to move him next year, doesn't help the value either.
The reality is, there isn't really a spot for him on CBJ. They are better off with the cap space and removing a bad influence out of the locker room before it gets messy next year when he's 1 foot out the door and playing not to get hurt. While opening up space for the younger players. The return between this year and next year, doesn't really see that much of an improvement that a team should really care more about it than the 8.7 mil on the books being opened up. At best you are looking at a late 1st and prospect of ok grade. Which wouldn't even be a top prospect for CBJ most likely. But you'd have to retain to get that, as teams that can move 8.7 mil in, are slim pickings and that isn't changing anytime soon. So the expectations should be tempered. It's not like he can be moved in for 3 mil on an expiring deal. He can't.
I'm saying this as someone who is not a fan of that trade to PIT. I don't see him as a fit on PIT. He doesn't play defense so he could never be on Malkin's line. Nor do I think Crosby would accept that as a line mate. I also don't see them paying 8,7 for a 3rd line player. He isn't a center.
But I'm sure someone would take a flyer on him if the price was right, and if CBJ could get a return on him they should this year.