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Veteran forward Patrik Laine wanted a trade away from the Columbus Blue Jackets this summer. He hoped that moving away from Ohio would benefit all parties. On Monday, the Blue Jackets fulfilled his request. Columbus traded Laine to the Montreal Canadiens along with a second-round pick in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.
Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has remained rather open about this process since he took the job. This openness continued after the veteran forward was traded to Montreal. Waddell spoke with the media about this trade and why he decided to pull the trigger on this deal specifically.
“We want players that want to be Blue Jackets and Patrik made it clear that he thought a change of scenery was best for him,” Waddell said, via NHL.com. “We were able to acquire a good young player in Jordan Harris while maintaining financial flexibility in this deal which was very important to us, and we wish Patrik all the best.”
Patrik Laine receives fresh start with Canadiens
Patrik Laine missed most of last season as he struggled with injuries and entered the player's assistance program. He was limited to 18 games in 2023-24, scoring six goals and nine points in that span. The former second-overall pick had a productive stint in Columbus to some extent. However, a change certainly can't hurt Laine moving forward.
The Canadiens had the chance to talk with Laine before this trade went down. Montreal general manager Kent Hughes mentioned that they were impressed with the conversations they had. Talking with Laine is one part of the due diligence that went into Montreal making this move.
“Everybody involved came away very comfortable with Patrik. We also spoke to Patrik about Montreal and the pressure that comes with this market, and he didn’t shy away from it at all. In fact, I think he is looking for this type of a market to come play in,” Hughes said, via NHL.com.
Laine ends his career with the Blue Jackets having scored the second most goals (54) of any Columbus player since the 2021-2022 season, according to Evolving Hockey. Additionally, the former second-overall pick scored the third-highest amount of points (117) of any Columbus forward in that time. He also had the fifth-highest Individual Expected Goals tally (37.58) of any Blue Jackets player.
Laine could certainly fill in on Montreal's top-six this season. It's an interesting gamble for the young Canadiens team to take. It's certainly going to be exciting to watch how this deal unfolds for the Blue Jackets and Montreal. Laine is likely to make his Canadiens debut on October 9 when Montreal takes on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
