Patrik Laine reportedly rejected trade to Western Conference team this summer

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Cooper Godin
September 7, 2024 (9:48 PM)

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Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine reportedly rejected a trade to a Western Conference team this summer.

After months of rumours, Finnish forward Patrik Laine was finally traded after the Columbus Blue Jackets shipped him to the Montreal Canadiens, along with a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for young defenceman Jordan Harris.

Laine had a tough time with the Blue Jackets and was seeking a fresh start with a new team. The Blue Jackets granted his request by dealing him to Montreal, but it appears that the Canadiens weren't the only team interested in his services.

In a recent interview with La Velle E. Neal III of The Minnesota Star Tribune, Wild General Manager Bill Guerin confirmed that they were in the mix to acquire Patrik Laine. Guerin added that the 26-year-old didn't want to join the Minnesota Wild, with Neal suspecting that Laine had the team on his no-trade list.

"Guerin said he had made progress on a deal and believed he had a chance to complete a swap, until he couldn't. When I asked him if Laine wanted to come to the Twin Cities, Guerin said. "No."

That suggests, and what I suspect, is that Laine had the Wild on a no-trade list." Neal said.

Adding Laine to a lineup that already features two young stars in Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov would've been a big boost for head coach John Hynes. But it's understandable why he didn't want to waive his no-trade clause to join them and opted for a trade to the Montreal Canadiens, who are going to be a team to watch in the coming years.

With the trade now behind him, Laine can now shift his focus on preparing for the 2024-25 season with the Canadiens and he's already been on the ice with some of his new teammates at Montreal's practice facility.

Montreal's top-six could do plenty of damage this season and as a whole, the team needs to take a step forward in the rebuild. While the Stanley Cup Playoffs may be out of reach, at least this season, if the Canadiens are in the mix for a wild card spot and playing competitive games into March, that'll be a success for the organization.

Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune
https://www.startribune.com/neal-wild-wanted-laine-laine-did-not-want-wild/601135775