Columbus Blue Jackets lose star Patrik Laine in season opener

The Columbus Blue Jackets lost star winger Patrik Laine to an elbow sprain in the season opener.

24-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine entered the 2022-23 season with high expectations after signing a four-year, $34.8M contract extension back in July.

Unfortunately for Laine, his teammates, and Columbus fans alike, he has been placed on the injured reserve and will miss three-to-four weeks with an elbow sprain.

Blue Jackets fans will have to wait a month to see Laine in action.

The Finnish winger left Wednesday’s game in the second period after a fierce collision with Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce.

Laine ultimately was responsible for the only real offense out of Columbus in the game before his early departure.

Both teams posted 10 shots on goal heading into the second period and it took only 11 seconds for him to put his club up 1-0. He exited the contest shortly after.

At the end of the day, the Blue Jackets lost the contest against Carolina 4-1, thanks to goals from Hurricanes Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis, Brady Skjei, and Andrei Svechnikov.

Prior to Opening Night, fans were excited to get to see Laine paired up with newly-signed superstar Johnny Gaudreau on the ice. Unfortunately, many were left unsatisfied after seeing the two in action together for just a single period before Laine left with an injury.

After the game, Gaudreau told reporters:

"“Yeah, I mean, it sucks, you never want someone to get hurt, but you’re on a new team, you’re building chemistry with your linemates, you think you had a good camp and then you’re not playing together the middle of the second period. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious, but I thought we were playing well and then the game kind of slipped away from us.”"

Entering his third season on the club, Laine has recorded 37 goals (including the one from Wednesday) and 41 assists, good for a total of 78 points in his Blue Jackets career.

In his absence, Justin Danforth is expected to move up and replace Laine on the top line.