Islanders trade rumors and interest level: Laine, Penguins, Virtanen

1 of 3

Patrick Laine #29 of the Columbus Blue Jackets (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

Here’s a weekly look at rumors around the NHL and if the New York Islanders might be interested and have the tools to make a trade.

Last week’s look around the NHL’s latest trade rumors saw a focus on the Calgary Flames and if the New York Islanders would be interested in trying to pick up any of their players on the block.

Of course, it would be incredible if the Isles could get Johnny Gaudreau, but it seems his heart is set on playing Philly. So the Isles might have to look elsewhere to land the help they might need.

This week the focus is on one of the most recent additions in Columbus, the possible shift going on in Pittsburgh, and a bottom-six player from Vancouver.

Patrik Laine | Columbus Blue Jackets

There’s no rumor that Laine wants out of Columbus. Yet. Getting benched after swearing at a coach (subscription required) only four games after joining the team doesn’t scream “I’m happy here”. The Blue Jackets hold Laine’s RFA rights, but with his deal expiring in the offseason, he could be swayed to move somewhere else via offer sheet.

The Blue Jackets will want to avoid that whole mess. Ideally, they can smooth this over and sign him long term. But the fact that Laine has been in Columbus for just over two weeks and is already having issues isn’t a good development towards re-signing the Finnish sniper.

Interest level: 5/5

The Islander would love to have someone of his talent. Any team would. Despite all the drama surrounding him this year, Laine is having a great start to the year with six points (five goals) in five games.

Laine has perhaps the best release in the game. The right-shot 6’5″ 206lbs forward has been one of the most consistent goal scorers since he entered the league in 2016-17 with a minimum of 30 goals each year*.

(*He had 28 in 68 games last year, a pace of 34 goals.)

Possibility of trade: 1/5

Considering the Blue Jackets gave up a number one center to get Laine, the return for Columbus would have to be of equal value. Something the New York Islanders just are willing to move.

Perhaps they could swing a package at the end of the year? But even then, assuming Laine continues his scoring pace through the rest of the season, where are the Islanders going to get the nearly $9 million in cap space they’ll need to sign him?

CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 23: Brian Burke of the Calgary Flames attends the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center on June 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins hired a new GM (Ron Hextall) and President of Hockey Operations (Brian Burke) after Jim Rutherford left at the end of January.

Their job will be to keep the Penguins competitive while also restocking the prospect shelves to continue being competitive in the future. I’m not sure how they do that exactly.

The Penguins still have Crosby and Malkin – two future hall of fame players- so the window is still technically open for the Pens. And according to Rob Rossi, Penguins owner Mario Lemieux wants both to retire as Penguins (subscription required). Both hold a combined $18.2 million cap hit until 2022. If the Penguins are going to stay competitive they’ll need to tinker with the rest of their roster.

Interest level: 4/5

The Penguins have pieces the Islanders would surely love to have. Guys like Jason Zucker, Bryan Rust, and Kasperi Kapanen all come to mind. Zucker’s cap hit is a bit hard to figure out. He carries a $5.5 million hit through the 2022-23 season. Rust and Kapanen hold a $3.5 million and $3 million cap hit through 2021-22, respectively.

Possibility of trade: 1/5

Relationships fuel business in hockey. Brian Burke and Lou Lamoriello go back, way back. Lou was Burke’s coach at Providence in the ’70s.

The Islanders are basically in the same boat as the Penguins though. They have a core of players they want to support by bringing in more quality but also have to re-stock their system with top-quality players. Further complicating things is the fact that both sides are in the same divisino.

VANCOUVER, BC – JANUARY 27: Jake Virtanen #18 of the Vancouver Canucks skates with the puck during NHL hockey action against the Ottawa Senators at Rogers Arena on January 27, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Jake Virtanen | Vancouver Canucks

Former first-round pick Jake Virtanen is said to be available in the trade market with the Canucks in the midst of a five-game losing streak.

Virtanen was selected with the sixth overall pick in 2014 (one pick after Michael Dal Colle). Since that draft, Virtanen has 96 points in 291 games with the Canucks. His best year was last year with 36 points in 69 games, a pace of 43 over a full 82 game season.

Virtanen has been available for a while now, but the fact that he’s been a healthy scratch of late is bringing back up the likelihood of a deal.

Interest level: 2.5/5

The Islanders love bringing in depth guys who play a physical game and can provide some offense. Jake Virtanen fits that mold. Over his three previous seasons, he’s averaged 12 to 15 minutes of ice-time with the majority of his shifts starting in the defensive zone. He’s scored 43 goals over those three seasons.

Want your voice heard? Join the Eyes On Isles team!

Write for us!

Next. Isles Top 25 Under 25

Possibility of a trade: 1/5

The right-shot forward carries a $2.5 million cap hit this year and next. That’s just too pricey for the Islanders unless they can offload one of their bloated contracts. If the Canucks are interested in guys like Leo Komarov or Thomas Hickey a deal could be worked out.

That seems unlikely though. Lou Lamoriello has been trying to move both for some time now and there haven’t been any takers.

And it’s not as if Jake Virtanen is valuable enough for the Islanders to try to sweeten the pot in order to move him south of the border.

Home / Islanders Rumors