Patrik Laine was adamant about not wanting to play for the Blue Jackets this season. On Monday, that wish was granted.
After requesting a trade out of Columbus, Laine found a new home in Montreal. The Canadiens landed the talented winger in a deal with the Blue Jackets, giving the winger a change of scenery for the 2024-25 season.
Laine played just 18 games last season in his second season as a member of the Columbus club, as he dealt with injuries, as well as a stint in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He recorded six goals and nine points during that time.
When healthy, the 26-year-old Finn is a lethal weapon for any top-six offense. Laine potted at least 30 goals his first three seasons after he was selected No. 2 overall by the Jets in 2016. However, injuries have prohibited Laine from progressing ever since.
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Here is more to know about the Laine trade to the Canadiens.
Patrik Laine trade details
- Canadiens get: F Patrik Laine, 2026 second-round pick
- Blue Jackets get: D Jordan Harris
The Canadiens landed Laine and a 2026 second-round pick from the Blue Jackets, in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris. There was no salary retained by Columbus, so Montreal takes on the full extent of his contract.
Why did Patrik Laine request a trade?
Laine made his stance on Columbus clear. After four years with the organization, he wanted a new place to play, signaling what would be his third team in nine seasons.
It put new Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell in a tough spot. Waddell was hired this summer to replace Jarmo Kekalainen as the team's head of hockey operations, and immediately was dealt the Laine predicament — circumstances that he admitted he had not previously handled.
"This is a different situation than any that I've really dealt with," Waddell said before the trade. "I've had players that have requested trades, and sometimes you trade them, sometimes you don't. Obviously, I don't know Patrik, I wasn't here last year. He went into the program 28 games into the year, and he's been very vocal about it, way before I got here, that he does not want to play for the Blue Jackets. There was a lot of things that went on in the locker room and he just doesn't want it."
With Laine under contract for two more years, had a deal not come to fruition, there would have been nothing left for the Blue Jackets to do other than hope he reported to training camp this fall."
"This is different because it's harder to bring him back knowing the situation," Waddell said. "But saying that, that might be the option. We're into the summer, he's got a high cap hit for two years. I'm talking to teams every day. I've got two or three teams engaged right now, we'll see where it goes. At the end of the day, like I told Andy Scott, his representation, I can try to do it, but if there's not a deal to be made, he's going to have to come back here to camp and we'll welcome him back and try to make the best out of the situation."
However, with the deal with the Canadiens, they are able to get him off their books while landing a promising young defenseman in Jordan Harris. The 24-year-old suited up for 56 games for Montreal last year, recording three goals and 11 assists, giving the Blue Jackets another young defenseman to use on its blue line consisting of bonafide No. 1 Zach Werenski and top prospects such as David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk.
For Montreal, it's a gamble, but one that could pay off exponentially. Laine has shown flashes of his scoring brilliance, but it has been overlooked by his inability to stay on the ice. While he does carry an expensive cap hit of $8.7 million a season, the Canadiens are betting on him getting back to his 30-goal form.
Considering the forward group already established in Montreal with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach, Laine gives head coach Martin St. Louis another scoring option to be deployed in his top two lines. The Canadiens were due to have a logjam on the blue line, so losing Harris in the deal isn't the end of the world.
