Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine said he has “no clue” what the reception will be like Monday night when he faces the Blue Jackets in Columbus for the first time since being traded during the off-season.
The Canadiens acquired Laine from the Blue Jackets on Aug. 19 in exchange for defenceman Jordan Harris and a second-round pick following reports that Columbus was looking to give the Finnish winger a fresh start.
Laine told reporters following the morning skate that he hopes the reception from the fan base is positive.
“If it’s not, I don’t really care,” Laine said. “If guys are going to be pissed off and bitter about something, then that’s your issue. I’m having a great time regardless and don’t really care what other people are saying, but we’ll see. It’ll be interesting.”
Laine was drafted second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2016 and was traded to Columbus five years later as part of a blockbuster deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois north of the border.
He signed a four-year, $34.8-million contract extension with the Blue Jackets in July 2022 after recording 26 goals and 56 points during the previous season. He followed that up with 22 goals and 52 points in 2022-23.
Still, Laine has yet to come close to reaching his career highs set with the Jets in 2017-18 when he registered 44 goals and 70 points, and the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs every season during his tenure with the team.
Laine was limited to 18 games last season as he sustained a broken clavicle and entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, citing his mental health and well-being as a priority.
As trade rumours picked up, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said plans to move Laine were already in motion before he entered the program.
“I had some ups and downs,” said Laine, who was cleared to return in July. “I don’t want to get into that too much but some things probably could have been handled better. Some things were great, some things were not so great. But I’m having the time of my life here, so I don’t want to really get into that too much.”
According to The Athletic‘s Aaron Portzline, Laine said when he signed his contract extension, things were going great and he didn’t want to leave.
“Obviously, things happened, and that was kind of it for me,” Laine said. “I feel like we were just doing the same thing year after year. I was tired of losing and just giving up when it’s December to start focusing on next year. I’m not going to do that. That’s frustrating as a player when you’re trying to win and some people are, you know, not like that.
“They’re a little too satisfied and too comfortable where they’re at. It wasn’t really a fit for me anymore. But here (in Montreal), it doesn’t matter if we’re winning or losing, we’re always trying our best. That’s what I felt about it (in Columbus).”
Montreal (14-16-3) is riding a three-game winning streak thanks in part to Laine, who has five goals and was named the NHL’s third star of the week.
Columbus (13-15-6) has just two wins in its last 11 games and is coming off a 5-4 overtime loss on the road to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
