Major update on Patrik Laine trade negotiations

According to a report from Columbus Blue Jackets insider Aaron Portzline, the team is no closer to trading star forward Patrik Laine than they were at the outset of the offseason.

Laine, who is in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, has requested a fresh start and new CBJ GM Don Waddell is doing his best to find a trade partner, but because teams can't speak directly to Laine there's been little progress. Portzline contends that the time to trade Laine was prior to the 2024 NHL Draft and the opening of free agency but, obviously, that time has passed.

What happens next isn't exactly clear.

From Portzline's most recent column for The Athletic:

Waddell is still hopeful it’s not too late to find a trade partner for Patrik Laine, who asked the club for a change of scenery after a difficult last season in Columbus. Laine is still in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. While the Jackets can trade him while he’s still in the program, neither they nor any other club can speak directly to Laine, and Waddell said all interested parties have asked to speak to Laine before putting together a trade package for him. “Teams keep checking in to see if there’s anything new,” Waddell said. “I tell them, ‘You guys have to be comfortable with (Laine), and I can’t help you.’ I don’t know the player personally. I’m not one to try and trick people either, so (we) made him available to chat (when he’s cleared).”

The prime time to trade Laine — the NHL Draft and the start of free agency — have both passed, but Waddell remains hopeful. “There really aren’t a lot of free agents out there,” he said. “If (teams) have the (salary) cap (space) today, they’ll probably still have it tomorrow. I know there are teams that are still interested.”

- Aaron Portzline

Laine has two years remaining on a deal that pays him $8.7 annually, so it's not surprising that teams have been hesitant to make a deal. After all, if I'm a GM looking to add nearly $9 million to my pay roll, I want to at least check in with the player to get a sense of their mental wellbeing before making a move.

Stay tuned.