COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets may now proceed with their last major off-season transaction.
The club was informed Thursday that veteran winger Patrik Laine had been cleared by the NHL/NHLPA players’ assistance program, where he’s been treated for self-described mental health reasons since late January.
The best news here, of course, is that Laine, 26, has been deemed well enough to resume his NHL playing career. Though entry into the program is voluntary, a player may not leave until the program’s doctors give a clean bill of health.
Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, who has been busy since his late May hiring in reshaping the Columbus roster and searching for a new coach, has said that several NHL clubs have expressed an interest in trading for Laine, but they’ve all requested to speak with the player first.
Now, those phone calls can get started. Beyond his mental health, interested NHL clubs will also have questions for Laine regarding his off-season shoulder surgery, from which he’s still recovering.
It’s expected that more clubs will also express interest now that Laine has been cleared.
Laine played only 18 games last season, totaling 6-3-9 with a minus-10 rating. He suffered a broken clavicle on Dec. 14 vs. Toronto and was set to return to the lineup when he announced his entry into the program on Jan. 28.
Soon after he entered the program, Laine posted on social media:
“After careful consideration and discussions with my support network and the team, I have recognized the importance of prioritizing my mental health and well-being. Hockey has been my passion and my life, but I have come to realize that in order to perform at my best, I need to take this time to focus on myself. I am grateful for the understanding and support of my team, the League, and our fans during this time. I look forward to returning to the ice with a clear mind and renewed energy. Thank you for respecting my privacy during this time and for your continued support. With love, Patty.”
This spring, Laine informed the Blue Jackets that he wanted a “change of scenery.”
Waddell has said he’d like to make a “hockey trade” involving Laine. That is, he’d like to acquire a lineup regular as part of a return package without having to retain a significant portion of Laine’s salary, although a deal is likely more difficult to swing this deep in the off-season, with many clubs already settled on their rosters.
Two other impediments:
• Laine has two years remaining on a contract that pays him $8.7 million per season, a big salary cap hit for most clubs to add at this juncture.
• There’s a limited no-trade clause in Laine’s contract by which he can select 10 NHL clubs to which he can’t be traded. It’s unclear if Laine would be willing to be flexible on that list given his desire to leave Columbus it could come to that.
Laine, who was traded to Columbus along with Jack Roslovic on Jan. 23, 2021, has totaled 64-74-138 with a minus-58 rating in 174 games. He’s also missed 123 games due to injuries or illness, never playing more than 56 games in a season.
It was hoped that the off-season acquisition of Johnny Gaudreau two summers ago would awaken Laine’s prodigious skills as a goal-scorer, but Gaudreau and Laine have never clicked, despite playing together on a forward line and power play unit.
In the past two seasons, Gaudreau has had the primary assist on only six of Laine’s 28 goals.
The Blue Jackets have had a transformative off-season, with several players departing (Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, Alex Nylander and Alexandre Texier), two significant free agent signings (center Sean Monahan and defenseman Jack Johnson), and a new coach.
Former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason was hired on Monday to replace Pascal Vincent, who was fired after only one season on the job.
Waddell still has three restricted free agents looking for contracts — Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. Marchenko has an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 31, so he’ll be signed — one way or another — by the middle of next week.
That leaves Laine as the last big move of summer. There are roughly eight weeks until training camp starts.
(Photo: Ben Jackson / NHLI via Getty Images)
