The trade rumor mill turns daily and as the Buffalo Sabres are still in search of a candidate to fill the hole left by Jeff Skinner’s departure in their top six, they have a perfect player to fit there in Patrik Laine . As a pure goal scorer with some size and plenty of youth still in him, he fits extremely well in the Sabres’ current scheme, and could be a valuable addition to their roster without making any significant subtractions. The Columbus Blue Jackets are not likely going to be competing for a playoff spot this season, so as they are in a more re-tooling/rebuilding phase, they will be looking for more prospects and draft picks as they offload someone like Laine.
The Sabres have plenty of both. How Does Laine Fit into the Sabres’ Roster? Last season, Laine did not play a significant amount of the year due to injury, and over the course of the past number of years, he has struggled to remain healthy . Last season, he played 18 games and in the two prior seasons, he played 55 and 56 games.
While staying in the lineup has been a bit of an issue, production has never been, and that is really where it will count. In 2021-22 he scored 26 goals and 56 points in 56 games, and in 2022-23 he scored 22 goals and 52 points in 55 games. Putting the puck in the back of the net is where Laine shines, and the Sabres could use someone like him to be a big-time finisher on one of their top two lines.
The question is which set of teammates would best suit him to complement his pla.