The Penguins may be a possible destination for 2016 second-round pick Patrik Laine, who will allegedly be moving this summer after leaving the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program, according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Vensel also mentioned that Reilly Smith might go the other way and sign with the Blue Jackets as part of a possible deal between Columbus and Pittsburgh. After spending his first season with the Penguins following his trade from the Vegas Golden Knights last summer, Smith is also in need of a fresh start.
After an extremely difficult 2023–24 season marked by an upper-body injury, Laine, 26, signed up for the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program the day after it was revealed he had experienced a setback in his recuperation. In the 2023–24 season, he played in just 18 games and finished with nine points (six goals, three assists), six penalty minutes, and a minus–ten rating.
Shortly after winning the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he played for six seasons, Smith, 33, was dealt to Pittsburgh. Smith had 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists), 18 penalty minutes, and a plus-three rating in his debut season with the Penguins. With one year left on his deal and a $5 million cap hit, Columbus could add all of that, particularly if Pittsburgh picks up the whole amount of Laine's contract. Laine's contract has two years left on it, with a $8.7 million cap hit.
Don Waddell revealed this week that Patrik Laine might leave the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program in a few days. The Blue Jackets will quickly find a new home for the Tampere, Finland native if he leaves the program.
