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The Montreal Canadiens made a major move ahead of the 2024-25 season on Monday. The Canadiens traded for Patrik Laine and a second-round pick in a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The move follows a trade request from Laine to the Blue Jackets earlier in the offseason.
A lot of speculation made the rounds about where the former second-overall pick would land. In the end, he heads to one of the most active markets in the entire league. However, he is not shying away from the frenzy of Montreal. Laine mentioned on Monday that he very much looks forward to getting started with the Habs.
“(Montreal's) the biggest hockey market there is, and I’ve played in Canada before, obviously, and I loved every minute of it,” Laine said, via The Columbus Dispatch. “So, I missed being back there, where hockey’s the No. 1 thing and people really, genuinely care about the team and the players. So, I didn’t need too much convincing.”
Canadiens' Patrik Laine opens up on recent struggles
Patrik Laine was one of the more intriguing trade candidates this summer. Statistically, he was one of the more productive players on Columbus. In fact, only Boone Jenner has scored more goals than the former second-overall pick since 2021-22.
However, Laine did not play nearly as well as he has in the past. Additionally, he did not play up to the nearly $9 million salary given to him when he signed a contract extension in 2022. In recent years, he struggled with a lot both on and off the ice.
On the ice, he had injury issues that kept him out of the lineup. This past season, he suffered two upper body injuries that saw him go on injured reserve. In late January, the former Blue Jackets star entered the player's assistance program as he sought help regarding his mental health.
Laine cleared the player's assistance program prior to Monday's trade. He mentioned to reporters that his mental health did play a role in his performance on the ice. In saying this, he is in a much better place and expressed his excitement about joining the Canadiens.
“One thing I’ve noticed is when you’re not enjoying whatever you do, you’re probably not going to be able to perform, and that’s kind of where I’ve been at. I haven’t been enjoying myself for a while,” Laine said, via Sportsnet.
“But now I’m happier than ever off the ice, obviously, and done a lot of work on myself to get me back to this point where I’m actually super excited about playing in a new place with new teammates in a new city. I’ve learned a lot of things over these last couple of years and now’s a really good time to put it to the test, but I’m absolutely readier than ever,” the new Canadiens forward continued on Monday.
