Blue Jackets Trade Pierre-Luc Dubois to Jets for Patrik Laine, Columbus’ Stanley Cup Odds Now +4500

• The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic
• The Blue Jackets’ 2021 Stanley Cup odds are sitting at +4500, while the Jets are also a longshot
• Read below to see how the trade shifted the odds, in addition to betting analysis

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic and, a third-round draft pick. Both Dubois and Laine had previously made it known they would like fresh starts and could thrive in new cities.

How has this blockbuster deal impacted the 2021 Stanley Cup odds?

2021 Stanley Cup Odds

Odds as of Jan 23 at DraftKings

Dubois Wanted Fresh Start 

Pierre-Luc Dubois has gotten his wish after requesting a trade from the Blue Jackets earlier this month. The 22-year-old was benched by coach John Tortorella for almost the entirety of Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay after showing very minimal effort to begin the year. For whatever reason, the former third overall pick desperately wanted a change of scenery.

Here's an iso of Pierre-Luc Dubois' final shift for the Blue Jackets tonight. The center saw 3:55 of ice time for the night and did not take a shift after the first period.#CBJ

More: https://t.co/dkWp3poyVI pic.twitter.com/BcGQgJwheP

— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 22, 2021

Dubois is a very talented center who should make a huge impact for the Jets. He’s just two years removed from a 27-goal, 61-point campaign and has averaged 22 goals per season over the first three years of his NHL career. The Quebec native was such a highly touted prospect due to his size (6’3″, 219 lbs) and power forward capabilities.

Laine Also Wanted Out

Winnipeg Jets’ sniper Patrik Laine is also getting his wish for a change of scenery with this blockbuster trade. The agent for the 22-year-old Finnish forward stated during the offseason that it would be “mutually beneficial” for both Laine and the Jets if his client were to be traded from the organization.

Laine was reportedly unhappy with his ice time and linemates in Winnipeg, as he typically hasn’t played on the top line with Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. Unlike Dubois, however, Laine actually got off to an impressive start this season, scoring twice in his season opener against Calgary before being sidelined by an upper-body injury. He was placed on injured reserve Friday.

It’s no secret what the young sniper brings to the table. Laine is one of the best shooters in the game, averaging 35 goals per season since he entered the league in 2016. His lethal goal-scoring ability is going to be a huge asset for a Columbus team that finished near the bottom of the pack in goals scored last year.

Impact On The Stanley Cup Odds

The Blue Jackets Stanley Cup odds stayed put at +4500 immediately following the deal, which isn’t much of a surprise considering Columbus hasn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since 2009. Even when Columbus had star forward Artemi Panarin and elite goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on their roster during the 2018-19 season, they were still eliminated by Boston in six games in the second round.

Winnipeg is sitting at +4300 in the odds following the deal. They’ve long been looking for a top center to play behind Mark Scheifele and may have struck gold with the Dubois addition. Losing a player as skilled as Laine hurts, but what helps soften the loss for Winnipeg is the fact that 24-year-old Kyle Connor has become a rising star and has averaged 35-plus goals in consecutive seasons.

This is a deal that should help both sides considering no player was happy with their current scenario. I expect Columbus to see a slight odds bump considering Laine is the biggest name in this deal, but don’t expect anything drastic. Both teams are going to be hard-pressed to make the postseason in their current divisions, and this fairly balanced trade will keep them both as longshots to win the Cup.