On Jan. 23, 2021, the Columbus Blue Jackets sent Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick to the Winnipeg Jets for Patrick Laine and Jack Roslovic. This blockbuster saw two rising stars swap teams in a deal that shocked the NHL world. Each of the three players involved had requested trades, but the deal was still monumental. Now with Dubois on his fourth NHL team and Laine on his third, let’s revisit the blockbuster.
Laine’s Tenure in Columbus
While Laine had requested a trade, it was still unfathomable to understand why Winnipeg was giving up a presumed perennial 40-plus goal scorer. Once in Columbus, he struggled to adjust to the new system, scoring just 10 goals in 45 games after the trade. The following two seasons saw improvement, tallying 48 goals across 111 regular season games, a 35-goal pace over an 82-game season. However, Laine’s struggles have been just that — an inability to stay on the ice.
Related: Analyzing the Capitals & Kings Dubois-for-Kuemper Trade
Laine sustained eight significant injuries since joining Columbus, ranging from upper body to triceps to oblique. He also joined the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January of the 2023-24 season, resulting in him playing just 18 games all season. Regardless of the issue, he was not a constant in the Blue Jackets’ lineup, and his absence was felt.
Columbus was a bottom-feeder throughout Laine’s tenure, and the only reason he was not traded sooner was his $8.7 million cap hit. Eventually, the Canadiens were the landing spot, sending Columbus Jordan Harris. However, the Blue Jackets also had to part with a 2026 second-round pick to make the trade happen.
Dubois’ Tenure in Winnipeg
After scoring 66 goals and 159 points in 239 career regular season games in Columbus, Dubois was hoping to cement himself as an NHL star on Winnipeg’s first line after Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella benched Dubois in a now-notorious overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dubois was said to have a weak work ethic and be a poor fit in Tortorella’s system, so it made sense for both sides to move on. However, Dubois’ numbers did not improve as one would have expected in Winnipeg.
Dubois played in 41 games that season for the Jets, scoring just eight goals and 21 points. This was understandable given the midseason trade, but his numbers continued to disappoint. He scored just 55 goals and 123 points the following two seasons before eventually…
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