Two of the first three picks in the 2016 NHL draft were traded on Saturday following a successful deal between Columbus and Winnipeg.
The Blue Jackets sent Pierre-Luc Dubois, a disgruntled center and a third-round selection to the Jets for right-wing Patrik Laine and center Jack Roslovic, according to several reports.
The move comes just 48 hours after Dubois was taken out by former Rangers coach John Tortorella in a loss of overtime to Lightning.
The 22-year-old French Canadian has requested a transaction from Columbus before the season begins this month, following an extended negotiation process that led to the signing of a $ 5 million restricted two-year free contract. .
Dubois, the former third overall pick, led Columbus with 18 goals and 31 assists last year and was the third overall pick in the 2016 draft.
But Dubois scored just one goal in the first five games and appeared unscathed at times, leading to his bench on Thursday. He played less than four minutes, which was well below his average of 17 minutes per game.
“I definitely need to be better,” Dubois told reporters on Friday.
Laine, 22, has been the subject of commercial rumors for the past two years, despite scoring an impressive 140 goals in 306 games.
The native of Finland was the second choice in 2016 and is in the second year of a two-year contract, with 13.5 million dollars.