What if Montreal Canadiens forward played for the Detroit Red Wings instead?
Patrik Laine just picked up his 1st hat trick as a member of the Canadiens, but what if the Red Wings had picked up him instead via trade from the Blue Jackets?
It goes without saying that the Detroit Red Wings need help on the offensive side of the puck, as a handful of their current players aren't delivering the kind of production that they need.
Suppose that the Red Wings had swung a trade for Finnish sniper Patrik Laine, who just picked up his 11th career hat trick last night with the Montreal Canadiens.
One of the more naturally gifted goal-scorers in hockey, Laine's talent was immediately obvious to NHL fans shortly after the Winnipeg Jets made him the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft behind Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He scored 36, 44, and 30 goals in his first three respective NHL years, and garnered a reputation for being almost as deadly as Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin one one-timers from the face-off circle.
Eventually, a change of scenery was needed, and he was sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a move that both parties would help revitalize the franchise.
Unfortunately, Laine never truly meshed in Columbus, and after a stay in the NHL Player Assistance Program, he was cleared to return but felt that a new team and city would be best for him.
After being traded to the Habs, he's re-kindled some of his old magic and already has six goals with the man-advantage.
Not only would Laine have provided an immediate spark to Detroit's power play unit, but would have given them another right-handed shot option to look toward behind that of Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat.
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DECEMBRE 18 | 80 ANSWERS What if Montreal Canadiens forward played for the Detroit Red Wings instead? How much better would the Detroit Red Wings be had they made a trade for Patrik Laine? | ||
