In a long-awaited trade, the Columbus Blue Jackets sent Patrik Laine and a 2026 second round pick to the Montreal Canadiens. In return, the Blue Jackets receive Jordan Harris, a 24-year old left-handed defenseman.
Laine entered the Player Assistance Program in late January and at some point in the spring let the Jackets front office know that he wanted a change of scenery. Incoming GM Don Waddell was made aware of this and has worked to make it happen as soon as Laine was cleared from the program last month.
At first glance, it’s a notably underwhelming return for a player with such offensive upside. On the other hand, the team had little leverage with this trade request being public. No salary was retained, so the upside for the Jackets is having nearly $9M off the books for the next two seasons. Harris has a $1.4M cap hit just for this upcoming season, after which he will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
It’s an unfortunate end to a disappointing chapter of Laine’s career. He showed glimpses of his potential here but couldn’t stay healthy. Hopefully this move is the best thing for his mental health. For the Jackets, this allows them to move forward with the young forwards currently in place, and with additional cap space to make further deals over the next two years.
Harris adds some depth on the left side of the defense, and competition with Denton Mateychuk and Jack Johnson for the third pair spot behind Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov. Welcome to Columbus!