Columbus Blue Jackets trade Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens

There was a lot of promise for Patrik Laine when he was first drafted second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft. He has lived up to being a good player but he hasn't been a consistent superstar like we all thought he'd be.

Eventually, the Jets traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets where he was a good player for them too but he always left more to be desired. By the end of the 2023-24 NHL season, it was clear that he wouldn't be returning to Columbus the following year.

On Monday, we finally had a conclusion to this mystery. The Blue Jackets traded Laine to the Montreal Canadiens along with a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.

The interesting thing about this deal is that Columbus is not retaining any of Patrik Laine's $8.7 million contract. The Habs are taking on the entire thing.

The Montreal Canadiens are getting a very talented player in Patrik Laine

Laine has 204 goals and 184 assists for 388 points in 480 games played. That is not generational-level stuff but it is nothing to sneeze at either. He has had six of his eight seasons in the NHL end with more than 20 goals.

The Canadiens could certainly use that level of output. What if he got back to the days when he went well over 30 goals or even pushed 40 again? He has the shooting ability needed to accomplish such a feat but he needs to have the hunger needed to score.

With young studs like Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, and Lane Hutson in the pipeline, the Habs are building something nice. However, at the NHL level, they still have a little way to go.

Outside of Nick Suzuki, the center of the ice is a question mark in the long term. However, Laine will be joining a good group of wingers that includes players like Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Kirby Dach. It doesn't look like a playoff team yet but they will take a big step forward.

If Laine can find his game and his motivation, he can return to being a dangerous player. He is only 25 years old and has a lot more years to be great ahead of him if he ever finds the right fit. Montreal hopes to be that team now.