Speculation continues about what a trade for Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine and a contract for Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman could look like.

There is still no word on when Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine will be released from the NHL and NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Laine, 26, entered the program in January, seeking help for his mental health. The priority remains that he receives whatever treatment he requires to get his life and career back on track.

We've recently learned the Blue Jackets can trade Laine while he's in the program, but interested clubs want to speak with him before making trade offers. However, no team (including the Blue Jackets) can talk directly to him until he's released from the program.

Speaking with TSN 690 Montreal last week, The Athletic's Aaron Portzline discussed the type of return the Blue Jackets could seek for Laine. He believes they'd prefer draft picks and prospects rather than a roster player because of their off-season additions. Portzline also thinks they must retain part of his $8.7-million annual cap hit to facilitate a deal. 

The Hockey News' Jason Newland cited NHL.com's Dan Rosen speculating the Washington Capitals could be among the teams interested in Laine once he becomes available. He noted they cleared $3.9 million from their books when the Carolina Hurricanes terminated Evgeny Kuznetsov's contract last week. Both clubs had evenly divided Kuznetsov's $7.8-million cap hit when the Capitals shipped him to the Hurricanes in March. 

Turning to the Boston Bruins, Sportsnet's Luke Fox and Rory Boylen noted that Jeremy Swayman didn't file for salary arbitration this summer. The 25-year-old goaltender went through the process last summer, heard “some things a player should never hear,” and opted to avoid arbitration this summer. 

Some observers wondered why Bruins management didn't get a handshake agreement with the Swayman camp on a new contract before trading Linus Ullmark. That's probably because they didn't know what the salary cap would be for this season and how much they'd have to spend in the UFA market.

Rosen was asked by a reader what Swayman's new contract would look like. He speculates it could be around $9 million annually depending on the length of the deal, dipping below $9 million on an eight-year contract or $10 million on a five-year one. 

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