Incidents in the Columbus locker room may have led to Patrik Laine's departure
Patrik Laine is now a member of the Montreal Canadiens, and expectations for the Finnish player's offensive production are high. While he's seen as a goal-scoring machine, there's a desire for him to contribute in other aspects of the game as well.
During his press conference, he was articulate on several points. However, some mysteries remain, and people are wondering what led the Columbus Blue Jackets organization to want to part ways with him.
The new Blue Jackets GM, Don Waddell, brought up the subject during his appearance on TSN Overdrive.
Things that happened in the locker room may have pushed Patrik Laine to request a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to his former GM Don Waddell
Without going into details about the incidents that occurred last season with the Blue Jackets, Waddell mentioned that events in the locker room may have led the Finn to request a trade.
TSN Overdrive - Waddell on Laine's trade request
- Don Waddell
This explanation leaves room for speculation and rumors. Could it be related to the Mike Babcock situation? We don't know! Is it connected to his time in the NHL's player assistance program? There's no clue to make a definitive statement!
The whole story remains unclear, but we now know a bit more about what motivated his trade request. The general manager played fair, as he tried to meet Patrik Laine's demands, given that Laine genuinely wanted to leave Columbus. In the end, he found a taker in Kent Hughes.
The offer presented by the Canadiens was the best he received. Don Waddell was not interested in retaining any part of Laine's salary for the next two seasons.
Now, the ball is in the court of the 26-year-old Finn. Fans hope that Laine will return to being the player he once was during his first two seasons in Winnipeg. According to him, he's confident he can achieve that. Hearing him say that he doesn't want to be a 30-goal scorer but an elite 40-45 goal scorer is very encouraging!
Source: TVA Sports
«Il ne veut plus jouer pour les Blue Jackets»: Patrik Laine a clairement indiqué ses intentions
| POLL | ||
How many goals Patrik Laine can score in the 2024-2025 season? | ||
| Less than 25 goals | 9 | 5 % |
| 25 to 34 goals in a season | 90 | 49.7 % |
| 35 to 44 goals in a season | 71 | 39.2 % |
| 45 goals and more | 11 | 6.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
