Why the Winnipeg Jets Should Push for PLD

 

With the news of Columbus thinking of moving on from star centerman, Pierre-Luc Dubois. With this news, I think it would be fitting to see what the Jets would need to acquire Dubois.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, A 22-Year-Old power forward is a highly valuable asset. In the long haul, the Winnipeg Jets would largely stand to gain from a Pierre-Luc Dubois Trade. 

For the assets that the Jets would have to give, Laine would undoubtedly be the centrepiece going to Columbus. 

The Winnipeg Jets could trade Laine and Roslovic and try to snag a top-four defender in either David Savard or Vladislav Gavrikov. David Savard has a contract of 4.25 million dollars for just this season. Gavrikov however, is making just 2.25 million dollars until the end of the 2022-2023 season. Cap space will be the biggest issue on the Jets’ end of things. With a cap space of zero dollars. There is a solution to this problem though, Laine makes 6.25 million for this year, Dubois makes 5 million for the next two years and Gavrikov makes 2.25 for the next two seasons. If the Jackets would retain 750K on either Dubois or Gavrikov then Winnipeg would be in a favourable financial situation. 

Let's say the trade goes through as Laine and Roslovic for Dubois and Gavrikov. The Jets would be set for the future and so would the Blue Jackets. 

The Winnipeg Jets 2021-2022 Lines would look something like Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler, Perfetti-Dubois-Ehlers, Copp-Lowry-Lewis, Harkins-Gustafson-Vesalainen and on the Defense core you could have Heinola-Pionk, Morrissey-Gavrikov and Samberg-DeMelo. With Perfetti being on the second line, I think that he would be NHL Ready at the end of this year, He will be playing with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) this season and would be more surprised to not see him on the ice with Dubois and Ehlers than not. Gavrikov should mesh well with Pionk on the second pair. Gavrikov is a twenty-five-year-old left-shot defenseman. (Appleton would be selected in the expansion draft by the Kraken)

The Blue Jackets situation will look a lot different. Their forward lines would consist of Laine-Domi-Atkinson, Bjorkstrand-Roslovic-Texier, Foligno-Foudy-Bemstrom and Grigorenko-Nash-Jenner. The defence core would look something like Werenski-Jones, Savard-Kukan and Carlsson-Del Zotto. (Nyquist would be selected in the expansion draft by the Kraken) 

In the long run, I think this works out for both teams with Laine becoming an Elite Scorer and netting 40+ goals a year with Domi and Atkinson. Dubois would become the Jets elite second-line center switching with Scheifele during injuries and providing in those clutch moments. Roslovic would have the opportunity to revive his career with his hometown team and Gavrikov would become a solid 2nd pair option for the Jets with Heinola and Samberg breaking out.

Written By: Brody Neufeld