There are plenty of interesting angles to this deal. At the top of the list is the acquisition of Roslovic, a young forward with upside who brings ready-made storylines with him as a Columbus native who will now get the chance to play for his hometown team.
There's also the interesting subplot of two of the top three picks in the 2016 NHL draft being traded for one another. Laine went second overall to Winnipeg, as just about everyone expected that year, but the selection of Dubois third overall by the Blue Jackets sent gasps throughout the crowd in the Buffalo arena.
The thought at the time was that the consensus third pick was Finnish winger Jesse Puljujarvi, but Kekalainen zigged when everyone thought the fellow Finn would zag, going with Dubois. It proved to be a wise choice, with Puljujarvi struggling to find his NHL footing and Dubois becoming a standout early in his career, a play-driving centerman with the ability to score and a physical streak to boot.
But now Kekalainen has the other Finnish winger on the board, and the acquisition of Laine brings in something the Blue Jackets have been looking for since Panarin left in free agency in the summer of 2019 -- a scoring winger.
Few have the ability to put the puck in the net with the consistency of Laine, who has 140 goals in 306 NHL games -- an average of 38 per 82 games. The All-Star's lowest goal output in a season is 28 a year ago, and he had 44 tallies in 2017-18 -- a mark that would be a new CBJ record if he can reach it again. For a team averaging just 2.00 goals per game to start the season, that's an exciting proposition.
"Strengthening our lineup offensively has been a priority for us and the additions of Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic accomplish just that," Kekalainen said. "Patrik is a player we know very well and in a short time has become one of our league's most proficient goal scorers. Jack is an exciting young player with great potential and we're thrilled to bring him home to Columbus as a Blue Jacket."
It's a deal not without risk for Columbus, but that's how big-boy trades work. Though he's a restricted free agent, Laine has just one year left on his current contract, so there's some uncertainty there. He also was seemingly unhappy in Winnipeg -- as was Dubois in Columbus -- and how he'll fit into the team's defensive structure under head coach John Tortorella figures to be a subplot NHL observers will watch closely.
But put into a difficult situation, one exacerbated by the fact Dubois didn't play in the final 45-plus minutes Thursday night, Kekalainen has yet again swing a huge trade. Dubois was an attractive fish to dangle -- word is more than half the league checked in on a possible trade -- but Kekalainen got a pair of NHL forwards with a lot of upside, and in the process filled a glaring need for the team on the left wing.
Will it be enough to lead to playoff success down the road? Time will tell, but having someone who can create goals in the tighter-checking postseason is something this team can use. There's certainly some excitement in the air after yet another big play by a man not afraid to make them.
