Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine has been released from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program after being cleared by its doctors today, reports Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch.
The news comes amid a trade request from Laine that’s stood since at least June, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported at the time. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman points out, Laine is still recovering from clavicle/shoulder surgery that ended his 2023-24 season back in December. The Finnish winger entered the Player Assistance Program about five weeks after sustaining the injury.
Trade talks couldn’t progress with Laine in the program. It was widely reported that interested parties wanted to speak with Laine before acquiring him, which was prohibited before he was cleared. Now that he’s been released from the program, those talks with other teams can now commence. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell declined to comment on Laine’s clearance and future trade talks today, per The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
Among potential landing spots for the 26-year-old, Friedman named the Kraken as a team to watch last month. The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith later reported the Wild had engaged in preliminary discussions for the sniper as well.
Laine’s numerous injuries last season, including an upper-body ailment, limited him to just six goals and three assists in 18 games. But in the two preceding years, the 2016 second-overall pick had been a force for Columbus, averaging nearly a point per game (108 in 111 GP) while logging an ATOI of 18:58. When healthy, he remains a top-line winger, but the first part of this sentence is a large caveat. He hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since before the pandemic.
Even with Laine out of the program, those injury concerns will remain. That’ll likely force Waddell to retain a solid chunk of his $8.7MM cap hit in a prospective trade to make it an appealing swap for both sides financially. Laine remains under contract through 2025-26, and he’ll be a UFA upon expiry. He can block a trade to 10 teams with his modified no-trade clause, per PuckPedia.
Outside of the trade discussions, it’s always good news to see a player cleared to return to action from the program. All of us at PHR wish Laine the best as he continues his NHL career.
Trade incoming?
Let’s Go Ducks!
Rakell, Acciari and a 2025 2nd for Laine.
Moving rakell defeats the purpose of getting him in the first place.
Rakell is a middle six grinder who can score 20. Laine (when right) can be a 50 goal top line wing (if he gets his life together and reverts to his WPG form).
So, not really, no.
High ceiling in Laine in exchange for a high floor player making less, but with more term, Acciari to even out the money a bit and a 2nd.
Wouldn’t offer much more than that given the high risk of bust, but I would offer that because Laine could change our PP.
Oh so dump two contracts, Rakell who is massively overpaid and a few yrs left, lol
Exactly.
Except I think you are underplaying the risk of a guy making almost $9 million a year who might give you nothing.
My point is they need another top six winger and rakell would just create another hole. Plus, I’d bet money that rakell plays more games and has more points than Laine next year.
Have you ever decided that a guy is fairly paid, or underpaid, or do you just default to yapping about guys being overpaid when you get on a heater? Maybe you just don’t understand simple economics or the economics of hockey.
My point is that even if Rakell has a great year…as currently constructed…we are still a middle of the pack team. Pretty much the only thing that gets us back into the mix is an impact young player coming out of nowhere (fingers crossed on Yager) OR something like trading for a question mark and having it work out perfectly.
Trading for Laine would be the GM equivalent of pulling the goalie. It’s more likely to not work than work, but if we don’t do it, we’re not going to win anyway.
If he could regain his form and play the Ovie/Stamkos role on our PP and give Sid a true sniper on his wing for the first time ever….that would get us back in the mix.
Likely? No. But it’s a matter of which low percentage long shot we want to take. IF it worked, though…
High likelihood that it back fires. The guy has yet to fit in anywhere and I don’t think we’d be getting him at 50% retention given that we aren’t giving up anything of value. That leaves him as a still expensive contract that could blow up in our faces
Two years. If he pans out, the cap will rise and we can keep him. If not, he can go.
If there is a higher upside and lower risk option available, I’m not sure what it would be, but would gladly listen.
Francis likes his reclamation projects; the cost shouldn’t be prohibitive Schwartz (to balance the cash abit) and a 2nd?
I like that trade. Maybe might be able to sneak the pick a bit lower, or get CBJ to retain half.
Well!
Bye!
Maybe it’s just me but a guy who missed most of last year due to injury and some sort of abuse problem
Shouldn’t be making loud noises about being traded. If it was me I’d be just wanting to play and stay clean and rebuild my value and then be a trade commodity. Either his ego is so huge that he thinks teams will be all over him by his reputation as a scorer rather than weigh his negatives as a clubhouse problem and team nightmare. Maybe I’m just old and the world has passed me by by that’s what I’d be worried about. But times have changed I guess, But maybe they shouldn’t in this case.
I’ll just be glad when Laine and Elvis are both gone from Columbus.
From what I’ve read and heard, he’s not in the program due to abuse of alcohol or drugs. I don’t want to speculate, but if you eliminate a substance issue, it’s pretty clear in my mind why he sought assistance. Hope all is well with him and he’s able to bounce back. Wouldn’t mind seeing him in Minnesota, but it would take Gaudreau, Johansson, probably a second and perhaps a prospect to get Columbus to eat what they would need to with the Wild’s cap issues.
Since he’s a RW…
Rangers get Laine
Columbus retains 50% and gets Kakko and a prospect.
Plausible?