NHL Rumors: $34.8M Patrik Laine's projected trade to Stanley Cup champs shut down

Recent NHL rumors suggested Patrik Laine might join the Florida Panthers. However, George Richards of "Florida Hockey Now" confirmed this trade won't happen. Laine has two years left on his $34.8 million contract at $8.7 million per year, making him too expensive for the Panthers.

Laine trains in South Florida and is close friends with Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. He also knows other Finnish Panthers players like Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, and Niko Mikkola. Laine played under current Panthers coach Paul Maurice in Winnipeg, scoring 138 goals in four seasons. But Richards believes now isn’t the time for Laine to join the Panthers. A future move is possible but not now.

"Simply because of finances, the Florida Panthers would not be a team in the running for Laine’s services although he has been doing some training in South Florida — and has some pretty good relationships within the organization." Richards wrote, via FHN.

On Friday, Patrik Laine was cleared to return by doctors from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program after almost six months. With his clearance, he is back on the ice and in the trade market. Laine, who was traded from Winnipeg to Columbus in 2021, has asked the Blue Jackets for a way out.

Last season, Patrik Laine scored six goals and nine points in 18 games before a broken clavicle sidelined him in December. Just over a month later, he entered the Player Assistance Program.

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell on Patrik Laine

Earlier this week, new Columbus general manager Don Waddell said that a trade would likely be worked out for Laine. A big holdup in trade talks was Laine's inability to speak with him or other GMs while in the NHL/NHLPA program.

In a discussion on TSN 1050's First Up, Waddell said:

"Patrik's made it clear that, even before all the changes this summer, he would like a fresh start someplace. We will look at it when the time comes - which hopefully is very soon - all the options. Now, I can't rule out any options, even returning here because it takes two teams to make a trade and if there's not a trade that makes any sense to us, then we have to just deal with what reality is."

While a trade to the Panthers is not happening now, Laine's future remains open. He still has plenty of hockey left and will be a free agent in two seasons.