Patrik Laine rejected trade before move to Montreal
This could have been entirely different!
Patrik Laine will start the 2024-25 season with the Montreal Canadiens after the Columbus Blue Jackets completed a trade earlier this month to offer the Finnish forward a fresh start.
However, Laine almost ended up with another NHL team as NHL insider Renaud Lavoie revealed on BPM Sports’ Le Club du Matin made the shocking revelation earlier this week. Lavoie said that Laine refused a deal that would’ve sent him to another club after a deal was struck between Columbus and the other team.
“Yes, there were other teams interested. Laine asked for a trade, as most people know,” said Lavoie. “Laine apparently refused an offer from another team before the Canadiens’ one came in.”
“It’s a place he wanted to play,” Lavoie added.
While it was not revealed which team Laine refused to play for, Lavoie did remind fans of his 10-team no-trade list and how it could have played a part.
In Montreal, Laine has become the Canadiens’ highest-paid active player with his $8.7 million cap hit for the next two seasons.
Laine entered the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Player Assistance Program in January and recently spoke about the importance to maintaining his mental health.
With the 2024-25 season around the corner, we will all get to see which version of Laine will get. His most productive stretch came in 2017-18 with the Winnipeg Jets, where he notched 44 goals and 70 points in his second NHL season.
