When you lose an incredible player to free agency, you need someone to fill the void. Unless the purpose is to fill that role with a younger player or established veteran, getting an outside player will help maintain the status quo. The Vegas Golden Knights are dealing with that situation, losing a special "Golden Misfit" to the state of Tennessee.
So what's a team like the Golden Knights to do in this scenario? Promote a player like Pavel Dorofeyev to the top six and reward him for his hard work? Perhaps giving a younger player like Brendan Brisson a try will do the trick? Those ideas sound tempting on the surface.
However, there might be another avenue the Golden Knights might explore. Yes, there's a route that they can take to get a superstar on their team: Trading for that superstar. Vegas has some options to go with here, instantly making them better.
The most obvious is Mitch Marner, who's been linked to Vegas by countless reputable sources. There are also lesser names such as Nick Robertson who've been connected to the Golden Knights, injecting youth into the lineup. However, two other names lost in the rumor mill could help the team.
First, there's Patrik Laine, the Columbus Blue Jackets winger returning from the player assistance program. He can score 40+ goals in a season, making him a high-reward pickup that might be worth the risk. Vegas could use a good sniper to replace Marchessault and Laine might be the answer.
But there's also Martin Necas, the Carolina Hurricanes center who scored 24 goals and 29 assists in 77 games last season. He's another good option who could also be a safer bet. But who's the more viable option for Vegas to acquire?
The case for Patrik Laine
The big plus for Patrik Laine is his age, sitting pretty at 26 years old. He also scored 80 goals in his first two seasons, bringing life to the Winnipeg Jets offense. Although his tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets has been less than successful, he can still bring quality offense to a team.
For one, Laine is an excellent sniper, capable of firing off a blistering shot. He'll bolster the Vegas Golden Knights on the wing, bringing even more size to their lineup. Standing at 6'5" has numerous perks, yet the Blue Jackets winger uses it in more ways than one.
For example, he can squeeze through tight spaces and work gaps easier. That makes him a nightmare matchup for any defender, for he can push them aside with his body. If Laine can stay healthy for most or the entire 82-game season, he'll be a worthy pickup for a Golden Knights team looking for winger depth.