Habs need this deal like a hole in the head!

Elvis said he doesn't want to do a tandem. Laine also needs more mature veterans to play with. You wouldn't want the young Hab core spending time with Laine playing Fortnite. The trade itself is completely lopsided. Need to add prob 1 high first or 2 lower 1st to even have Jackets accept. Laine also has a M-NTC to think about.

What now? Are you serious?

"Not the greatest hockey trade for CBJ, but it does free up a lot of money on their cap."

As that is not a priority for the Jackets, the motivation to do this is nonexistent.

I will say that A getting a first round pick back and B dumping Elvis is a pretty good incentive.
I love laine but I worry that if he doesn’t bounce back we are gonna get nothing out of him value wise that will help the long term of this team.

I actually kind of agree here, except I don't think his value can go much lower...even if he has another year like this one, we should get a similar return if we move him half-retained as a rental.

Laine with CBJ is a paradox: we have to assume he's the top-line winger he has been when healthy, which gives him value in a trade; yet acquiring teams have to assume he's the oft-injured liability, which tanks his trade value. Since Columbus has plenty of cap space, he's not a cap dump, and there's no incentive to dump him for less; but for a small-market team with plenty of wingers to fill that role, the roster and cash flexibility is an asset. All is true at the same time.

I think this trade balances out pretty well, and there's definitely no incentive to move Laine for less. You move two players that probably need a change, get a 1st back, and don't retain any cap. Laine probably rebounds under an amazing coach and pots 40 per year for the next decade.