Don Waddell opens up about the Patrik Laine situation

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Daniel Lucente
August 17, 2024 (4:35 PM)

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Former GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets Don Waddell has revealed that Patrik Laine no longer wants to play for his team and they're actively exploring a trade.

Don Waddell appeared on TSN 1050 in Toronto and was asked questions regarding Patrik Laine's future. Waddell said in all his years working in the NHL, he has never dealt with a situation as intense as this, where a player completely despises the team he plays for and absolutely cannot wait to get out.

"This is a different situation than any that I've really dealt with. I've had players that have requested trades, and sometimes you trade them, sometimes you don't. Obviously, I don't know Patrik, I wasn't here last year. He went into the program 28 games into the year..."

Don Waddell admits that he and new GM Eric Tulsky are working hard to try and get a deal done for Patrik Laine, however, he admitted that if at the end of the day, there is no immediate deal to be made, he isn't going to force it and ruin his own team for it, so he said Laine will have to be a big boy and report to training camp, but said that he can't physically force him to report but is hoping he would make the right decision. The team would continue to try and work their magic on their end for a trade as well.

The most shocking comment Waddell appeared to have made in his interview was the possibility of some major issues happening in the Blue Jackets' locker room. That could be one of the main reasons Patrik Laine wants out, so it will be interesting to see how that gets addressed next season. No doubt it's not easy being a player on a team that finishes dead last in the standings, so it's definitely understandable for there to be frustration, but the last thing anyone wants is toxicity.

Patrik Laine only played in 18 games last season for Columbus, having scored just six goals and adding three assists.

Source:
The CBJ Center on X

Source: HockeyDB
Patrik Laine Stats