Don Waddell: Patrik Laine “doesn't want to be here”

The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to seek a trade partner for Finnish forward Patrik Laine, who spent the majority of last season in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program working on his mental health. 

During an appearance on "OverDrive" with Bryan Hayes and Dave Feschuk, Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell reiterated that Laine had been "very vocal" about wanting a change of scenery, and even speculated that there was something going on behind the scenes prior to his arrival in town. 

"I've had players request trades before, and sometimes you trade them, sometimes you don't," he said.

"He's been very vocal about it, way before I got here, that he does not want to play for the Blue Jackets. I think there's a lot of things that went on in the locker room, and he just doesn't want to be here," he continued. 

Right now, there's not much movement in terms of getting a deal worked out for Laine to depart Columbus, though Waddell indicated that he's speaking with a small number of teams.

"There’s not a lot of movement," Waddell said. "I'm talking to teams every day, I got two or three teams engaged right now."

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