On June 18, we compiled a list of offseason landing spots for Patrik Laine. This was based on a report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that indicated the winger and the Columbus Blue Jackets had mutually agreed to a trade.

The 26-year-old has endured a difficult time with the Blue Jackets, hampered by injuries and inconsistency that limited his effectiveness as a scoring forward, and he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January to focus on his mental health and well-being.

The Blue Jackets were allowed to trade Laine while he was in the program, but neither they nor interested clubs could speak to him directly. However, doctors cleared him to rejoin Columbus on July 26.

Jackets GM Don Waddell can now talk to the Finn about his favorite trade destinations. He has a 10-team no-trade list on his contract, which runs through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $8.7 million.

Trading Laine at this point in the offseason could be tricky. Many teams have used up most of their salary cap space by adding players via trades and free agency earlier this summer. It won’t be easy to find a club willing to take on his entire salary, which could force Waddell to retain up to 50 percent to make a deal possible.

Some teams on our original list have already addressed their roster needs or don’t have enough cap space to acquire Laine. Now that the former 44-goal scorer is available for teams to talk to, it’s time to review our list of potential destinations.

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It was a summer of changes for the Carolina Hurricanes.

They had to send trade deadline signing Jake Guentzel to the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 30 or lose him on a free transfer. Forwards Teuvo Teräväinen and Stefan Noesen left on free transfers, as did defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce.

Meanwhile, winger Martin Nečas has been the subject of frequent trade speculation this summer following reports of his dissatisfaction with his role with the Hurricanes. But that speculation has dissipated after he signed a two-year deal on Monday.

Teams may have been waiting for the outcome of Nečas’ contract talks before resuming trade investigations, and the Blue Jackets could be among them.

Waddell is a former GM of the Hurricanes and knows Nečas well. He could offer Laine in a deal with the idea that Nečas centers his first or second line.

Another option would be to trade Laine for Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The 24-year-old has struggled to live up to expectations as a second-line center with the Hurricanes. He has four years left on his contract with an average annual value of $4.82 million.

Laine’s salary cap hit is higher, but his term is half that of Kotkaniemi’s. That could be a selling point for Carolina.

The Blue Jackets could add a young player with a longer contract but a lower average selling price who might be able to find his niche in a less demanding market.

We included the Montreal Canadiens in our original list of potential trade destinations for Laine, based on their glaring need to bolster an offense that averaged among the lowest in the NHL last season at 2.83 goals per game.

Arpon Basu of The Athletic reported on July 1 that Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes attempted to sign former Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault, but he opted to join the Nashville Predators.

With the free agent market now depleted, Hughes needs to make a move to add a scorer to his squad.

Since then, the Canadiens have been linked with Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Nečas and Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, but it seems unlikely Hughes can land either player unless he’s willing to pay over the odds for the privilege.

Marc Dumont of Montréal Hockey Now noted the pros and cons of adding Laine to the Canadiens’ roster. He pointed out that his cap hit, while expensive, is only for two years. His age would fit well into their rebuilding process, and the Blue Jackets’ asking price could be reasonable.

It would be a gamble for the Canadiens to acquire Laine, but it could pay off, just as it did two years ago when they acquired Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames.

They have enough draft capital and depth in promising prospects to take the risk, especially if Hughes can ensure the Blue Jackets retain a significant portion of Laine’s salary cap space.

On July 24, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that the Pittsburgh Penguins have $3.5 million in projected salary cap space for 2024-25. He listed four options for general manager Kyle Dubas, one of which was adding another winger.

Vensel said the free-agent market is scarce and he also thinks it’s hard to see them acquiring Patrik Laine.

Still, Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski had Laine on his July 5 list of potential scoring options for the Penguins, and three weeks later, he still felt the Jackets winger would be a good fit.

Kingerski acknowledged Laine’s struggles in Columbus, but noted that he still scored 51 goals in 129 games over the past three injury-shortened seasons. He believes the former 44-goal scorer can return to that form with a clear head and motivation. Playing alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin could also boost his production.

The Blue Jackets would have to retain a portion of Laine’s salary, and Dubas would also have to send a paid player to Columbus to make it work. It could get a little complicated, but the Penguins GM is used to that, as evidenced by his three-team deal last summer to sign Erik Karlsson.

The Utah Hockey Club made one of the biggest deals of the offseason by acquiring defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 29. The defense was further bolstered by the acquisition of John Marino from the New Jersey Devils.

Perhaps general manager Bill Armstrong has another surprising move up his sleeve, such as signing a veteran top-six sniper.

Utah has promising young forwards like Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Mattias Macelli and Josh Doan, plus experienced, talented winger Nick Schmaltz, but Clayton Keller is the only notable star player.

The former Arizona Coyotes are looking to make a fresh start in their new location. They could be a good fit for a winger like Laine, who also hopes a change of scenery will improve his prospects.

His ability to play on either wing could add some versatility to Utah’s forward line. He also has some recent experience as a center. At 26, he’s also the right age to fit in well with the young forwards, but he also has the benefit of multiple NHL seasons under his belt.

Utah can afford to take Laine’s entire cap hit. It also has the depth in draft picks and promising players on its roster and within its system to make a competitive offer for the Blue Jackets.

The Washington Capitals have made several major deals this summer.

Their biggest move was sending goalie Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings for center Pierre-Luc Dubois. They also sent defenseman Nick Jensen and a draft pick to the Ottawa Senators for blueliner Jakob Chychrun.

Other deals included sending a draft pick to the Calgary Flames for winger Andrew Mangiapane and trading two draft picks to the Vegas Golden Knights for goaltender Logan Thompson.

Since those deals were made, the Capitals have promoted Chris Patrick to general manager, while Brian McLellan remains president of hockey operations. But they may not be done making moves just yet.

On July 24, NHL.com’s Dan Rosen was asked if he thought they would pursue Laine.

Rosen noted that the Capitals freed up $3.9 million in cap space after buying out former Caps center Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract to the Carolina Hurricanes. Center Nicklas Backstrom is expected to go on the long-term injured list, and winger TJ Oshie could follow suit. That could give them enough cap space to acquire Laine.

Sammi Silber from The Hockey News noted that the Blue Jackets may be willing to accept draft picks and prospects for Laine in lieu of a roster player. They have a lot of promising talent in their system and some extra picks in the 2025 draft to use as trading leverage.

Laine could be a fit if the Blue Jackets retain some of his salary.

Salary information via PuckPedia.