According to Eklund of Hockey Buzz, the Los Angeles Kings are one of four teams interested in Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Laine was cleared to return from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on July 26, 2024, after entering the program on January 28. Since then, transfer talks on the Laine front appear to have picked up steam.
The Kings are in a tough spot. They have promising young players good enough to sign Laine, but as their team ages, the question becomes: Would GM Rob Blake be willing to part with them?
And will Laine be the driving force that gets them past the first round? That should be the team’s goal, to go deep into the playoffs, and if he doesn’t make a big impact, why would they want to part with the future of their organization?
The Kings are building a team with more grit and heart, and while Laine doesn’t have the same style, he can score 40+ goals in the NHL in the right situation. That’s unlikely to be the case with the Kings, though.
The Kings should move on from Laine and try to add more impact players to the entire lineup, not just their top six. Acquiring Laine from the Blue Jackets could have a similar outcome to Blake’s trade for Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets.
