Patrik Laine breaks silence after trade to Montreal

The Patrik Laine era with the Columbus Blue Jackets is over, bringing an end to the hopes of the fan base that he'd be able to form a deadly 1-2 punch with Johnny Gaudreau and help lead them back to the postseason. 

The former No. 2 overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets in 2016 was traded this afternoon to the Montreal Canadiens, along with a draft pick, in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris. This move provides him with the change of scenery he had been openly seeking.

While speaking in the immediate aftermath of the trade to Montreal, Laine said that he first found out about the move while out walking his dog and that he's already heard from a few of his new Canadiens teammates. 

“It’s been a pretty crazy couple of hours. I was on a walk with our dog," he said. "My phone got pretty hot from all the calls and texts. There have been a few (Habs players) who’ve reached out, that’s much appreciated. It’s been a warm welcome, that’s been awesome for us.”

Laine admitted that it just wasn't a good fit for him in Columbus, saying that it would be best for him as a person to be playing elsewhere. 

"It just wasn't a great fit for me, obviously I felt like the team and myself needed to move on, me as a person needed a fresh start somewhere else," he said.

However, that doesn't mean that he has bad things to say about his time in Columbus, as he was sure to praise the fans and city on his way out.  

"I'm still going to cherish my time in Columbus, yeah it wasn't always easy," he said. "I loved being and living in Columbus, the people are great, people were awesome, the fans were passionate, there was definitely a lot, a lot of good times in Columbus."

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