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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterAug 19, 2024, 05:13 PM ET
CloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.
Just days after it became public he wanted to leave, Patrik Laine is no longer a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets as the winger was traded on Monday to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.
The Blue Jackets received a 2026 second-round pick in addition to Harris and will not retain any of Laine’s salary in the deal. Laine, 26, has two years left on his contract worth $8.7 million annually. Laine’s future with the Blue Jackets had been in question for quite some time. The speculation further intensified last week when Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell told TSN 1050 in Toronto that Laine was vocal about not wanting to play for the Blue Jackets anymore.
Waddell reiterated Laine’s desire to leave in a statement released at the time of the trade.
“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. “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. We wish Patrik all the best.”
Back in 2016, the Winnipeg Jets drafted Laine with the No. 2 pick and watched him score 80 goals in his first two seasons. He spent four full seasons with the Jets before he was traded to the Blue Jackets just one game into the 2020-21 season.
Laine’s arrival made him one of the crucial pieces of a Blue Jackets rebuild that was powered by free agent signing Johnny Gaudreau, established homegrown talents such as Zach Werenski and newer prospects such as Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko.
Laine, a hulking 6-foot-5 winger, had consecutive 20-goal seasons in 2021-22 and in 2022-23.
What ultimately became his final season in Columbus saw him miss nine games in October and November after being diagnosed with a concussion. He also missed three…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40921253/blue-jackets-deal-veteran-forward-patrik-laine-canadiens
Author : Ryan S. Clark
Publish date : 2024-08-20 01:37:16
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