Skip to content
Your daily dose of hockey
News Rumors

Patrik Laine: veterans wanted to get him out of Columbus

 Michael Johnson
Share : facebook icon twitter icon
Patrik Laine: veterans wanted to get him out of Columbus
Credit: Getty Images
Don Waddell was clear: Patrik Laine, under current conditions, would never have been able to become the player he could be in Columbus. After all, he needed a change of scenery.

Is it all his fault? Was he sometimes placed in a position where he wasn’t in a position to deliver the best possible performance, commensurate with his – immense – talent? Who knows?

But what I do know is that life is rarely all black and white…

The best proof of all? This anecdote from journalist Aaron Portzline, who has his finger on the pulse of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The veteran journalist reported something interesting.

On the heels of Bishop and Friends, The Athletic reporter reported that in Laine’s Columbus debut (he’s talking 2019-2020, But Laine was still in Winnipeg… so let’s assume he’s talking 2020-2021), the Finn was the victim of a hit from his teammates.

Cam Atkinson, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski and Gustav Nyquist reportedly went to their GM to tell him that Laine and goalie Elvis Merzlikins had to leave the club, according to this reporter.

History will tell us that while Werenski is still here, the other three are gone. The goalie is still there, and Laine has only just left… at his own request, as we know.

David Savard was in Columbus that year. He was traded to Tampa Bay along the way, but if he hadn’t been, I wonder if he would have been part of the group that called for Laine’s head at the end of the season.

More importantly, I wonder what he told Kent Hughes in the last few days about his former teammate.

Laine’s agent refused to discuss the situation in question publicly.

He’s content to say he’ll fit into the Habs locker room.

It’s a clash of ideas right now, as we’re reminded that Columbus was happy to trade him, but that his talent could change everything in a locker room with good leadership in Montreal. Let’s wait and see what he does on the ice, and judge in due course.


Overtime

– It promises!

– New contract for young Blue Jackets player.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!
More Content