Should Blue Jackets give Laine a big contract, or trade him?

With Patrik Laine, things are rarely just run-of-the-mill. Where other prominent players tend to sign long-term contracts, Laine’s drifted though plenty of uncertainty. Even Laine’s sense of fashion tends to break the mold.

Could the Blue Jackets finally hash out a long-term contract with Laine this summer, or could the 24-year-old experience the turbulence of another trade? Things could swing in drastically different directions for the pending restricted free agent.

From the sound of things, we may not get clarity during the week of the 2022 NHL Draft.

One key wrinkle for Laine, the Blue Jackets, and his contract/trade situation is the Finnish winger’s salary arbitration rights. If it got that far, a hearing could leave Laine with just a one-year deal, walking him to unrestricted free agency. That would basically be a worst-case scenario for Columbus.

To some, that would indicate that the clock is ticking. Publicly, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is playing it cool, though.

On Friday, Kekalainen indicated to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that if a Laine trade happens, it’s more likely to take place later in the offseason, rather than around the 2022 NHL Draft.

“Like with anything, it takes its course,” Kekalainen said to Portzline (sub required). “If they want to agree, we can do it quickly. If they don’t, it can take time. I don’t think it’s going to affect anything we do (next weekend) at the draft.”

One way or another, this figures to be a busy week for the Blue Jackets. They currently own the sixth and 12th picks of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Clearly, it will hinge on finding the right contract for both Laine and the Blue Jackets. In another key quote to Portzline, Kekalainen backed up the notion that a Laine trade