Quote:
Originally Posted by Crown Royal
Laine isn't worth Dumba and the 9th.
Laine is a one dimensional winger that is a liability when he isn't scoring, his attitude also shows red flags.
Dumba gives the Jets an excellent RHD capable of putting up 40-50 points. Duby would give them a solid backup to play behind Hellebyuck since next season will likely have a condensed schedule. The pick I was thinking would be the Pens 1st in 2021.
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Laine is the best player in this deal hands down. Can't help but think you're basing an opinion of a player off of a perceived reputation from 2 seasons ago. It's such a lazy argument to say attitude issues are a problem when he actually made great strides as a player this year and wasn't a liability at all.
I won't claim that Laine will ever win a Selke or anything, but there was huge improvement in his overall game this year. 28 goals, 35 assists in 68 games.
Career high in hits, assists, and saw his ice time rise by more than 2 minutes a game this season after being asked by the coaching staff to be better away from the puck. He flourished on their top line for most of the season while looking more engaged than he ever has.
On top of that he still has his elite shooting ability and the potential to contend for Richard trophies. He only managed 8 powerplay goals this year (he had 20 in his second season) but found different ways to score at even strength and saw his overall production climb big time. 0.6 PPG vs 0.93 PPG.
His defensive awareness was much better this season and he didn't go through extended dry spells like he used to.
I don't think Kovalev is a very good comparison for Laine. This is a 2nd overall pick who just turned 22 and already has 138 goals and 247 points to his name. 6'4 and over 200 pounds. His value is very high.
Dubnyk's play also fell off a cliff this year. There is no value in a .890 SP back up goalie with a cap hit over 4 million. Winnipeg could do much better in the backup role.
If Minnesota can get Laine with Dumba as the main piece getting shipped out they should be all over it.