The pros and cons of trading for Patrik Laine

The cons of trading for Patrik Laine

Yes, there are some cons associated with acquiring Patrik Laine from the Blue Jackets. For one, he carries a cap hit of $8.7 million for the next two seasons. Even if Kelly McCrimmon works a deal where another team retains his salary, that's a sizable amount of cap space allocated to a player. That cap space could be used to bring in cheaper low-risk veterans.

Considering the Vegas Golden Knights have been hard-pressed to find any room in this category, it might be better as a short-term move. Jack Eichel's current deal also expires in two seasons, putting Vegas in a tight spot. That's especially true with the Golden Knights reportedly looking into acquiring Mitch Marner.

Although Laine would be a younger alternative to Mitch Marner, he's also more injury-prone. The Finnish winger has dealt with numerous injuries over the years, making it tougher to justify acquiring the star. He played in 18 games this season, dealing with collarbone and upper-body injuries.