Patrik Laine makes big decision about his future in Columbus
It's been quite the week for the Columbus Blue Jackets, first the signing of Johnny Gaudreau, and now it appears their high-powered young sniper will not file for arbitration, which means the two sides are working on a contract extension.
According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Columbus winger Patrik Laine won't file for arbitration by tomorrow's deadline at 5 pm. This likely means that even though it may be slow, the two sides are collectively working on an extension and the negotiations have stayed in good standing with both Laine and his agent. For the Blue Jackets and their fans, that's a very good sign. Especially because of the way he left the Winnipeg Jets organization.
Laine, 24, was a point-per-game player last season, albeit in limited action. in 56 games played last season with the Blue Jackets, he scored 26 goals and added 30 assists for 56 points.
I have to say, whether you like Laine or not, it's good to see that he appears to finally have found a situation that he is comfortable in after the way things ended in Winnipeg a couple of seasons ago. You don't have to agree with the tactics to get here, but the fact is, he seems to have found a home with the Blue Jackets in Ohio and that makes me happy for him as a person.