Patrik Laine got a giant contract and Aleksander Barkov a chain friend in the superstar category. However, it is too early to say anything about the final fate of the duo’s clubs in the summer transfer market, writes Tommi Seppälä, Urheilu’s NHL reporter.
20:53•Updated 20:53
It is clear that the NHL market had two winners early Saturday morning Finnish time: Patrick Laine and Alexander Barkov. The former did Jarmo Kekäläinen four-year contract with Columbus, which guarantees the Tampere striker an income of no less than 38 million dollars.
The contract was baked between the player and the club for a long time and diligently. Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the outcome.
Laine traded to Columbus three free-agent years into his career. Next summer, he would have become an unrestricted free agent, who would have been able to measure his value on the market and choose his club freely. During these three years, the value of Laine’s contract was pumped up. When we talk about Lainee as an 8.7 million dollar player, we are talking about a real top individual in terms of salary.
The wave is now Barkov’s and Mikko Rantanen after the third highest paid Finnish NHL player. Only half a million dollars separates Laine and Rantanen in favor of the Turku man.
Rantanen and Laine are still players at different levels.
While Rantanen brings a strong overall performance to the table night after night, in the case of Laine, the club still partially paid for the potential. Although Laine averaged a point per game last season, no one is sure what kind of Patrik Laine we will see in the NHL rinks in the upcoming season.
Against this background of the puzzle, a salary of almost nine million is a lot.
In the same breath, it must be stated that, outside of the total off-season a year ago, the Tappara’s grown-up has forged strong results in the NHL. With the exception of the 2020–2021 season, 30 goals have been basic oats for Lainee.
Now, however, the bar is also at new heights through the agreement. Laine does not have to compete for the title of the best defensive forward, but playing without the puck, skating, general sportsmanship and clean scoring condition must be at a high level in the future – 40 goals must be realistic for Laine.
It’s also the case that under Kekäläinen’s leadership, Columbus has a merciless fire away from the bottom layers of the NHL. Laine should be part of the core group that builds a winning culture at Ohio State. While Kekäläinen still got 115 points next to Laine Johnny Gaudreauit is clear that in the future only actions will speak.
Laine has the potential to become a 50-60 goal scorer in the NHL, but at the same time, he still has a lot to prove as a player.
An exceptional giant store
Another winner on Saturday was Florida captain Aleksander Barkov.
Panthers GM Bill Zito hit the table together with his fellow officers from Calgary by Brad Treliving with a player trade, the likes of which has not been seen in the NHL for decades. The club exchanged two MVP-caliber superstars, both of whom scored more than 100 power points last season, in a giant trade of four players and two reserve shifts.
Central striker Jonathan Huberdeau traveled from Florida to Calgary and winger Matthew Tkachuk Calgary to Florida. In addition, Florida sent a quality defenseman to Calgary by MacKenzie Weegar and the first round of bookings from the summer of 2025.
The situation was brought about because Tkachuk, who received the status of a restricted free agent, refused to sign a long extension contract with Calgary. Instead, Florida would have gotten into big trouble with Huberdeau’s new contract a year later due to salary cap issues.
This created a win-win situation, although Calgary is still in a tight gap.
Solutions should not be judged
Calgary maximized the catch from Tkachuk. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Huberdeau and Weegar are on one-year deals — they’ll be unrestricted free agents this coming summer. So, at least in theory, it is possible that Calgary will not get anything from Tkachuk’s transfer.
The situation in Florida is different. It immediately locked up Tkachuk to a lengthy seven-year deal after the trade.
Florida got themselves a real top individual and a modern power forward who brings movement, skill and toughness to the equation. Tkachuk also has the ability to play well even in heated battles.
The flip side of the coin regarding the new giant acquisition is the running out of oxygen from Florida’s salary cap and, considering the pursuit of the Stanley Cup, a fairly light defense after Weegar’s departure.
But this is today’s NHL. Salary cap issues shuffle the pack in many teams as much as events on the rink. Clubs have to constantly balance and make difficult compromises – when one hole is filled, another hole is created.
For this reason, even these solutions should not be given a bigger verdict when they are fresh.
It is certain that Tampere friends Laine and Barkov will be winners in this transfer window. Laine got the biggest contract of his NHL career and clearly the best chain mate of his career in the form of Gaudreau. Barkov also gets the best berth of his career from Tkachuk, as Huberdeau’s departure does not really affect the captain’s actions in the rink.