Blue Jackets reportedly not receiving much trade interest in Patrik Laine

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Cooper Godin
August 2, 2024 (4:25 PM)

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are reportedly not receiving much trade interest in Patrik Laine.

Patrik Laine's name has been circulating in trade rumours for quite some time now and with the Finnish forward exiting the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last week, teams around the NHL are now allowed to speak with him before completing a deal with the Blue Jackets.

Despite this, Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager Don Waddell says that there isn't a whole lot of interest in trading for Laine from teams around the National Hockey League. He added that only one teams has reached out to talk to him about a potential trade involving Patrik Laine, but nothing has been done as of this point.

"At this time of the year, people are less responsive. So, I don't really know. I think it's going to play out for a while." Waddell said.

He added, "We might end up eating some money. If I wanted to eat half, I could've traded him by now, but that's not my first choice."

Laine, 26, had a difficult 2023-24 campaign, only appearing in 18 games with the Blue Jackets. He suffered an upper-body injury in December and in late-January, it was revealed that he had a setback in his recovery from a fractured clavicle. One day after the news of his injury setback, it was announced that Laine was entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and he would go on to miss the remainder of the season.

In those 18 games last season, the Tampere, Finland native managed to record nine points (six goals, three assists), six penalty minutes and was minus-ten.

No matter if Patrik Laine is in Columbus or elsewhere next season, there's no doubt he'll be motivated to prove everyone wrong and wants to get back to being a 30+ goal scorer in the National Hockey League for years to come.

Source: Yardbarker
Blue Jackets GM: Only one team has expressed interest in Patrik Laine