Patrik Laine's Blue Jackets teammates reportedly wanted him gone

Just a few days ago, the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets made one of the biggest trades of the summer. Patrik Laine was sent to the Canadiens along with a second-round pick in exchange for young defenseman Jordan Harris. The Canadiens will take on Laine's full $8.9 million contract for the next two seasons, with no salary retained by Columbus.

According to Aaron Portzline, a top reporter for the Blue Jackets, this trade was influenced by events that happened a couple of years ago. He revealed that several key players on the team, including Cam Atkinson, Seth Jones, Gustav Nyquist, and Zach Werenski, approached General Manager Don Waddell, urging him to trade both Laine and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins due to what they described as their "toxic attitudes."

Ironically, the situation backfired, as most of those players who voiced their concerns were eventually traded instead. Cam Atkinson was sent to Philadelphia, Gustav Nyquist to Minnesota, and Seth Jones to Chicago. Zach Werenski was the only one retained, as he's considered one of the top defensemen in the league and is also one of the highest-paid players on the team.

Laine's career has had its ups and downs, including a well-known incident involving the video game Fortnite. Before the 2018 NHL season, Laine admitted he was addicted to Fortnite, playing at all hours, even rumored to be playing during intermissions. It became a significant distraction, but in November 2018, Laine decided to quit playing the game. His performance improved drastically afterward, scoring 18 goals in 12 games.

Laine was drafted second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft and played four full seasons with them. After being traded to Columbus during his fifth season, he struggled with injuries and never played more than 56 games in a season with the Blue Jackets. Now, as he joins the Montreal Canadiens, Laine is hoping for a fresh start, aiming to stay healthy both physically and mentally.