The Winnipeg Jets have traded winger Patrik Laine and center Jack Roslovic to the Columbus Blue Jackets for center Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick in 2022. The Jets will also take on 26% of Laine's nearly-$5 million contract, which is in its final year.

It's interesting that all three players had requested to be traded. If the plan for Dubois and Laine was to play in a bigger market, then will this trade satisfy them? The most likely of the three to be happy with the deal is Roslovic, a Columbus native who has already signed a two-year contract (AAV $1.9 million) with his new team.

Another coincidence is that Laine was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, while Dubois was selected one pick after in the same draft.

Before breaking down the short- and long-term impact of the deal, there is an immediate detail that needs to be mentioned because of COVID and the fact that this is a cross-border trade.

So Pierre Luc-Dubois would have to quarantine for 14-days upon arrival in Canada. Earliest he could play would be after Super Bowl. Laine only 7-day quarantine upon arrival in Columbus. Roslovic is in Columbus already. @TheFourthPeriod

— Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) January 23, 2021

The Super Bowl is on February 7, which should give Dubois owners an idea of when he will finally be available. Laine is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, so he may be absent from the Jackets lineup beyond the seven-day quarantine anyway.  

Once everyone is ready to play, this trade will have some interesting ripple effects on both teams.

Let's start with Columbus, where Laine arrives as easily the team's most talented pure goal scorer and is the player with the highest ceiling in the trade. Because the Jets feature a strong top-6, Laine wasn't always guaranteed first-line minutes in Winnipeg. On the surface, prime minutes shouldn't be a problem in Columbus, although one obvious storyline will be whether hot-and-cold Laine and defensive taskmaster John Tortorella can coexist.

Laine is an RFA after the season. Will his long-term future be in Columbus, or will he eventually exit like several other star players in recent seasons? The defensive-minded Jackets don't possess the offensive prowess of the Jets, especially on the power play, which could affect Laine's goal-scoring totals.

Once Laine is healthy and has cleared quarantine, he could provide a boost to the value of Max Domi. Acquired for Josh Anderson in an offseason trade, Domi has been held without a goal with two assists in five games with his new team. Laine's arrival could push Cam Atkinson off Domi's line, although Torts tends to mix his lines often. Nothing should be carved in stone here.  

Dubois' departure could be a golden opportunity for Alexandre Texier to receive full-time top-6 minutes, although he may have to battle Roslovic for a spot. It may work for both players if Roslovic is moved to the wing. It's also worth mentioning that this opens up an opportunity for Liam Foudy long-term.

Oliver Bjorkstrand was often on a line with Dubois, so it will be interesting to see where in the lineup he ends up as well. Like many Jackets players, Bjorkstrand has been used all over the lineup, so fantasy owners shouldn't be too worried about how he is affected overall.

On to the Jets. Dubois might have a lower ceiling that Laine, but he also has a higher floor and gives the Jets more stability at the center position. With Mark Scheifele locked in as the number one center, Dubois would most likely slot in as a strong second-line option. This isn't a bad arrangement, as he would likely get to line up with one of Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor. Paul Stastny could be bumped to a third-line role if he is not moved to the wing. Another option for the second line is Andrew Copp.  

In terms of power-play arrangements, this trade is another opportunity for Ehlers to finally break through to the first power-play unit. Dubois might have some say in that, although he has never been an elite power-play producer. Dubois' career high in power-play points is 15, which he set in his rookie year of 2017-18. (Conversely, Laine's career high in power-play goals is 20, also set in 2017-18.) So there's no guarantee Dubois will get to that first power-play unit or build on his previous power-play numbers. His overall scoring numbers should remain relatively consistent, though.

Dubois, who has this season and next left on his contract, may have mentioned that he wanted to "play on a bigger stage." Although small-market Winnipeg doesn't qualify as that, he has some incentive to stay long-term. His father Eric is an assistant coach of the Jets' AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

Players this helps, in order:

Roslovic

Domi

Texier

Ehlers

Dubois

Copp

Players this hurts, in order:

Laine

Atkinson

Stastny

Bjorkstrand

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Fantasy owners are already discussing the trade on the Forum – give your take here!