Canadian team last buyer left for Columbus star sniper.

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Noel Drolet
August 2, 2024 (6:20 PM)

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The Columbus Blue Jackets may be running into an unexpected problem with trading Patrik Laine - few teams actually want him.

There are many players around the NHL who fluctuate in skill, showing flashes of greatness and then being a liability at other times. These players often look promising as prospects and then drop off greatly.

The epitome of this sentiment is Patrick Laine, a player who was naturally gifted with scoring talent and then fell off due to a multitude of factors. His stint with the Blue Jackets has not been everything they thought it'd be, with him heavily regressing. Other teams in the league have taken notice to that, with news that Laine isn't drawing many suitors at all.

However, there hasn't been much interest in Laine's services just yet. GM Don Waddell told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch earlier this week that at this point, only one team has contacted him to express interest in acquiring his services.

The one team with interest seems to be the Montreal Canadiens, with multiple reports linking the two sides for a while now. The fit somewhat makes sense, but also doesn't in ways. There are many positives and negatives to acquiring a player like Laine, and the Canadiens should be very careful.

Laine could be a very productive addition to the lineup, helping boost the point totals of the younger players in the Canadiens' lineup. He's another pure shooter to put on the second line behind Caufield, and would easily bolster either powerplay unit with shot pressure.

If the Canadiens could acquire him for cheap it may be too tempting for them. With them being the only team left with interest and his lofty cap hit, they may be able to steal him out of Columbus and rehab him back into the player he once was. Seeing Laine get his career back on track would be very well deserved, if he's willing to work hard enough to help himself.