After nearly a year of challenges on and off the ice, Patrik Laine is ready for a fresh start.
Laine was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday along with a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft in a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenceman Jordan Harris. The move comes after he broke his clavicle last December and then spent six months in the league's player assistance program to address his mental health issues.
"When you're not enjoying whatever you do, you're probably not going to be able to perform, and that's where I've been at," said Laine in a video call with media from Florida. "I haven't been enjoying myself for a while, but now I'm happier than ever, off the ice, obviously.
"I've done a lot of work on myself to to get me back to this point where I'm actually super excited about playing, in a new place, with new teammates, in a new city."
Laine broke his clavicle on Dec. 14, then had an undisclosed setback delaying his recovery from the injury on Jan. 27. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program the next day, saying on social media he wanted to prioritize his mental health, and was cleared to return on July 26.
"I've learned a lot of lot of things over these last couple years, and now is a really good time to put them to the test," he said. "I'm absolutely readier than ever."
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said his organization had done a thorough look into Laine's health and off-ice issues. Hughes added that Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell and Laine were open with Montreal's front office about everything and he appreciated their candour.
"We came away from that conversation very satisfied. We did a lot of other homework," said Hughes. "I don't want to get into a lot of detail about that, out of respect for Patrik and those people that we spoke to, but Patrik and Don were also gracious enough to let us speak to and consult on the medical file and just have the conversations that we felt we needed to have to be comfortable moving forward."
Laine had six goals and three assists in 18 games with Columbus last season before his injury and the mental health leave. The six-foot-five, 215-pound winger has appeared in 480 regular-season games over eight NHL seasons with the Winnipeg Jets and the Blue Jackets, scoring 204 goals and adding 184 assists.
"Still absolutely ripping the puck, so no issues there," said Laine, who was recently cleared to skate. "Overall body feels good. Still, obviously, got a month until camp. Lots of time to make some adjustments.
"No concerns with the body whatsoever, and with the mind. So feel like I'm in a really, really good place as a whole package."
Laine, from Tampere, Finland, was drafted second overall by the Jets in 2016. He helped Finland win the world junior championship in Helsinki that year with seven goals and six assists in seven games, in addition to being named to the tournament’s all-star team.
He said he was eager to follow in the footsteps of Finnish hockey legend Saku Koivu, who was the Canadiens captain for 10 years.
"I don't know if I'll be able to do as good as he did, but I'm going to try my best to be as good as he was in Montreal," said Laine.
Laine signed a four-year, US$34.8 million contract extension with the Blue Jackets on July 22, 2022. Although Laine surpasses captain Nick Suzuki as Montreal's highest-paid player, Hughes said that with two years remaining on the deal it wouldn't have a significant impact on the Canadiens' salary cap.
"There's so many things that go into a salary structure, whether it's negotiated by us or a contract that was acquired," said Hughes, noting that Laine did not have to waive his no-trade clause on the swap.
The 24-year-old Harris had three goals, 11 assists and was a minus-5 plus/minus over 56 games with Montreal last season. Harris has eight goals and 23 assists in 131 games over three seasons with the Habs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press