Blue Jackets trade Dubois to Jets for Laine, Roslovic

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forward Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forwards Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic, the team announced Saturday.

Winnipeg also receives a 2022 third-round draft pick from Columbus and will retain 26% of Laine's $6.75-million cap hit. The 22-year-old is on the final year of his current deal and will become a restricted free agent after this season.

Roslovic, who was a restricted free agent, also signed a two-year, $3.8-million deal with the Blue Jackets. The 23-year-old Columbus native, who previously requested a trade, tallied 12 goals and 29 points through 71 games with the Jets last season.

Dubois, who played just 3:55 in his final game with Columbus on Thursday, also asked for a trade before the campaign began. The 22-year-old has one goal through five games this season after leading the Blue Jackets with 49 points through 70 games in 2019-20.

The deal gives Winnipeg some much-needed depth at center. The club now has Mark Scheifele, Dubois, and veteran Paul Stastny as its top three pivots.

The Jets placed Laine on injured reserve with an upper-body injury on Friday, and he hasn't played since the club's season opener on Jan. 13. The Finnish sniper tallied two goals - including the overtime winner - and one assist in that contest.

The Blue Jackets have been one of the league's lowest-scoring teams since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, and adding Laine should give the squad a boost in that department. The 6-foot-5 winger ranks ninth in goals (140) among all skaters since entering the league in 2016-17.

The young stars were two of the 2016 NHL Draft's most coveted players, with Laine going second overall to Winnipeg and Dubois going third overall to Columbus.

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