"Kase + Ritchie/Jones + 1st is the max I’d pay for a 1-dimensional, streaky winger who supposedly wants out of WPG. I know the ask from WPG fans will be Lindholm/Rakell/Zegras, but I very much doubt GMBM would---"

Caps fan here. What have you done with MacLellan?

Let’s start with steel, kase, and the first. If you say no, ok ur the one who wants him

I think this is a more fair and accurate offering.

I would say Rakell, Larsson and a 2nd.

I think the jets would be looking for someone to fill the 2C spot for the next few seasons in return and I don’t think the ducks will give up Steel and I don’t think Henrique isn’t to much of an upgrade over little for them too. I’d be willing to give a package of (pick one) Henrique/Silfverberg/Kase, (pick one) Jones/Ritchie/Sprong, and a first.

Jets won’t be looking for fair they’ll be looking for an overpayment since they have no reason to really move Laine. They have almost all the leverage

Ha... I get your point, but I am just not that high on Laine. Don't get me wrong, 40 goal scorers don't grow on trees, but he doesn't bring much else beyond his scoring touch. While he might be an elite scorer, I think there are legitimate question marks as to whether he'll ever be an elite player. With that said, I'd PERSONALLY be willing to pay more for Kyle Connor. He hasn't put up 40 yet, but I think he will and has the off-the-puck game to round out into an elite talent.



I think this is a reasonable ask. However, ultimately, in considering all factors (i.e. player ability/potential, positional need, contract demands) I think I would turn it down. It certainly warrants consideration, but moving a C, especially one who looks as good as Steel, makes little sense when one of the team's main issues is a lack of centre depth. Zegras is a nice addition, but he's no sure thing. At least with Steel we have a contingency plan. What about Kase + Terry + 1st? It would demolish our RW, but we'll have to move Comtois to RW anyway as we'll have Rakell, Laine, Ritchie taking up the top 3 LW positions and we have Silf and Sprong on RW.

Rakell - Getzlaf - Sprong
Laine - Steel - Comtois
Ritchie - Henrique - Silfverberg



Again, a very reasonable ask. I am just not sure I would pay it. If Laine had even a little bit of an off-the-puck game, I'd definitely consider it. However, from what I've seen of him, I think Laine would only be an upgrade on Rakell in the shot and speed department. For me, Rakell has better hands and a better overall game. When you take into account the difference in contract. I don't see the benefit of such a trade.

However, I totally understand why Jets + their fans would be asking for such a price.



I think your proposed packages are where I sit with regards to Laine's value. If it requires Rakell/Lindholm/one of our more promising young prospects, I think I decline.



I am not sure I agree. You have to consider that WPG needs to re-sign Connor and that he's potentially their more valued player than Laine due his more well-rounded game. You also have to remember that Laine is making things difficult. His contract demands are quite frankly stupid and his unwillingness to come down in price for the best of the team could lead to upper management souring on him.

I won't pretend to know the full details of the Laine-WPG situation. I know a lot of misinformation is being spread about his desire to play there. However, I don't think you can view this as a deal in which ANA is approaching WPG to discuss a player they have no intention of moving. I think Laine is available at a fair return and so long as the team benefits financially from the deal.

Bob Murray is the original "GMBM" - how you are confusing him with that wannabe Brian MacLellan is beyond me.

And we're supposed to trust the reporting of some guy because...?

But say this is a real development I would make this deal though I don't think Winnipeg would nor do I think Laine settles for that amount, at least not with that term. If Kase didn't have such injury history I could see this being a slam dunk for both teams but he's a huge question mark. Ritchie might be the most frustrating young player we've had since Stanislav Chistov so he's not a big draw so basically the Jets would gambling on a couple of young players can make good and some serious cap relief. But then again maybe they're out of options? But in regards to the OP I think this is a solid trade from the Ducks end.

Yes every player is available at some return. But you would need to pry laine away from the jets and that would mean an overpayment. They have the cap space to sign both (both long term if they move one of kulikov or perreault). They don’t need or really want to move him. I feel people are just making a mountain out of a molehill with his comments. He is just a 21 yr old guy who is frustrated because he knows nothing about his future. And we all know Laine is a media spotlight when he’s frustrated (see goal scoring droughts). The jets could just wait laine out and sign him to a bridge (then pay him big because he will have a much more rounded game in 2-3 years)

Literally no one said this.



The Laine contract could be increased to $8-8.5M. It doesn't really affect the cap situation. I just entered it at $7.5M per because GMBM is great at getting kids on RFA on incredibly low deals.



If Laine is available, it'll be because WPG management don't think Laine is worth the contract he's demanding/WPG can't afford to re-sign him/WPG management have soured on Laine. In such a situation, we won't need to "pry" him away, he'll be available for a package of equivalent value. I am not saying WPG would sell Laine for less than his value, but it won't be at an inflated rate "because they have no reason to move him". This is secretly a scenario in which WPG is taking offers on Laine. If Laine isn't available, then I don't think ANA makes a play for him at all.

See that’s the thing. The keys could just bridge him if he commands too much. Rfa’s coming of elcs have almost no leverage. The only leverage they have is holding out and signing an offersheet. They dont have any reason to move him now. Not to mention that he is he bets pure goal scorer since ov

Bridging is certainly an option for WPG, assuming Laine is willing to accept it. We'll see what happens. I am not expecting anything from this. It was just a bit of fun.

P.S. Laine is definitely the best pure goal scorer the league has seen in a while. I don't think he'll ever reach Ovi's level. Ovi is a god and one of the best players of modern-era hockey. He's a true "generational talent", which Laine isn't and doesn't project to be either.

Isn't the premise of this trade based on a rumor some guy tweeted out?

Murray hasn't had to negotiate a contract with a young superstar of Laine's caliber though. I don't think they pull the trigger on a trade unless they've already discussed specific terms and if that's the kind of money Laine would settle for why not just re-sign with the Jets? Or I'm sure there's another team with less stringent budget constraints that could offer him more. Bottom line is I feel like Bob's (David McNab's really) usual magic with re-signing young RFAs wouldn't work on Laine. Unless he really wants to play here which he might but that seems unlikely.

I bet they wouldn't fight over it.

Ummm. Laine has a statistically better shot that ov. And it’s more powerful. It dipped last year (probably from doing little training in the summer). He is also bigger. If he can round out his game he will be. He doesn’t have the head start that ov had (playing with a playmaking Center since the beginning) but he will get one as soon as next year. He won’t ever get the same goal total because of that but I could see laine becoming that good. Ov is a legend don’t get me wrong, but Laine could be just as good. The only thing holding him back is consistency and commitment

Yeah, but the first three words are “Just for fun”. I don’t think anyone has high expectations of Laine ending up in ANA.

Fair enough.



Completely disagree. Laine doesn’t have that upside, not even close. Laine may have a “statistically better shot” (sample size!) and one that is “more powerful” (don’t even think this is true or how you would even know), but Ovi wins in all other areas and by a country mile in some.

Quite frankly, your suggestion that Ovi was/has been somehow carried by Backstrom is hilarious and reeks of pure delusion. Ovi drives his own play and consistently produces something (often a goal) out of absolutely nothing. Go watch a highlight reel if you need reminding. Clearly Laine doesn’t, otherwise he wouldn’t need excuses of “not having a playmaking C to play with”.

Laine is an elite goal scorer, but his game is too 1-dimensional for him to be a generational talent. Don’t see what you’re seeing, and I don’t think many do either. Might I suggest you pop off those red, white and blue tinted glasses every once and a while.

U misunderstood what I said. Laine has a more powerful shot as in its faster. While ov clocks just over 100 laine can get to 105 on most shots. Also 3 seasons isn’t a small sample size. Ov hasn’t been carried but he has benefited for he earlier part of his career when he couldn’t drive play from a playmaking c, something laine never had (except for stastny) as he has little as his c (whom he has no chemistry with). In the early part of his career ov was just as one dimensional as laine, but he had a c who could make the plays he needed to produce. That said laine is starting to become a play driver and we saw some of what ov has now become in him in the playoffs.

I know ov is at a high level but if Laine can continue his progression as a play driving winger and get the playmaking c he needs (roslovic once he is ready for 2c), he will be just as good as ov imo. If Laine was playing next to scheifele these past few years he would o have had 45+ in his rookie season and 50+ in the year after. Last year was a fluke in that almost all his statistics dropped but he would have had above 35 imo. The biggest reason Laine doesn't hit the goal totals one expects of someone with that elite shot is that he doesn’t play with three right c. Little plays a completely different style and is more of a goal scoring c than a passer.

Laine’s shot is generational and there is no doubt about that. He will be ov’s heir. Mark my words. Not until he gets the right c though

Agree to disagree.

Such disrespect to arguably the greatest goalscorer of all-time. SMH!

Not disrespect. Ov is great. He is a legend. But Laine could play at the same level in a few years and comparing them isn’t wrong imo

Lol... so the 2nd coming of the greatest goal scorer to play the game and a future legend of the sport didn’t even get drafted 1st OA. I guess you see what everyone else, including NHL scouts, doesn’t.

Yeah, good luck with that dreaming thing you seem to have going.

Hmmm. That Mathews kid ain’t so bad either. Not to mention he was a franchise player as soon as he was drafted. Laine wasn’t even close. That said he has the elite shot to get to the same level. Remember that yakapov kid. He went 1st oa. So did the guy before the sedins. Terrible point of argument imo. I am also saying he can and not will so it’s not dreaming. If he can round out his game I don’t see why not

Matthews is an elite 1C and a franchise player, but he's not generational as he doesn't produce anywhere near a generational rate nor does he have the list of achievements of a generational player. The only recent player to be drafted that is generational is McDavid. Now go and compare Matthews and McDavid. One is a consistent 100+ pts player and the other posts ~70 pts per season. One has an all-time scoring high of 116 pts, the other's maximum is 73. One has back-to-back 40+ goal seasons, the other hit 40 in his rookie season and has declined to sub-40 since. One has been awarded the Art Ross twice and the Hart Memorial as the league's most valuable player to their team once (in 4 only seasons of NHL play!!!), the other has a Calder trophy as the league's best rookie.

I mean, the difference between Matthews and a true generational player is staggeringly obvious and Laine was drafted 2nd to Matthews... and, according to you, it wasn't even close. How is the guy drafted 2nd to a guy that isn't a generational talent going to become a generational talent? It's not even generational, Ovi is more than generational, he's a legend of the sport. The greatest goalscorer to ever play the game. It simply isn't happening. Generational players, like Ovi/Crosby/McDavid don't need time to get better or good players around them. They're good regardless - that is what makes them so special. I mean, McDavid is playing on one of the most offensively depleted teams in the league without a single good winger and still produces 100+ pts. I don't really know why this needs explaining to you.



He has an elite shot, but he doesn't drive the play enough to become generational. That is the problem. Laine is too 1-dimensional. He's the definition of a "setup guy". You have to set him up and he'll finish it. Hence, your stupid excuses about him needing a playmaking 1C who can just feed him those sweet passes for him to finish. Ovi, a true generational talent, doesn't need that guy. He can just take the puck from centre ice and do it all himself. Laine doesn't have the skillset to do it all himself and he's too deficient in too many areas to say "he'll grow in it". Generational players don't grow into it. They have it from season 1. That is what makes them so special and why they hit those high points on the all-time points lists, because they were posting 100+ right out the gate.



Ok, so... what's your point? Yes, 1st OAs don't always pan out. How is that the same as a player getting drafted outside 1st OA and becoming a generational talent? In fact, do me a favour and list a forward that was drafted in the modern-era who wasn't drafted 1st OA and ended up a generational player... and you can't use Malkin because he was only 2nd OA because Ovi was in his same draft year.



I suspected this. You clearly don't know what a "generational player" is if your standard is the Sedins... hahahaha! While the Sedin twins were good players and probably HoFamers, they didn't sniff the most elite players to play the game. Both only just made it past the 1000 pt mark at 38 years of age. Crosby and Ovi are in the 1100-1200 pt mark already and they've got 4-5 more years left of play in them. So wrong!



He can't and you're deluded. Generational players don't "grow" into it. They are fantastic from year 1. Go and check the career statistics of Crosby/Mcdavid/Ovi for confirmation.

Saying Mathews isn't generational is delusional. He is the best goal scoring c since Crosby (he would have had well over 40 each season if healthy).

My point wasn’t to say the sedins are generational and ur just twisting my words there. My point was that generational talents aren’t necessarily 1st oa talents. Look at kucherov (who is generational imo). He brings a combination of speed, skill, and shot that is pretty much unmatched in the league. He don’t go 1st oa

My point is that laine’s Shot is genrational. Much like ov in the earlier part of his career, laine cant drive play and create his own chances. Ov needed someone early in his career just like laine does. Not to mention he was just as one dimensional. They are almost mirror images of each other except for the output which I think is mostly because of ov having backstrom. When Laine plays next to scheifele he has 12 goals in 20 games in 2016 before his concussion. That’s just under 50 and scheifele isn’t even a playmaking c, he is more of a goal scorer. But the point was that he had chemistry with scheifele like ov has with backstrom. Imagine him with a pass first c. Little is much advertised as a terrible c choice for Laine as nothing about them goes well together

The problem is that ur comparing a 21 Yr old with a 32 yr old vet. Of course the 32yr old will be the better play driver and better all round player. What you should do is compare 21 yr old laine with 21 yr old ov. Then you'll see that the only big difference between the 2 is a little goal output. (Save for that crazy 65 goal season that will never happen again)