Blue Jackets’ Laine Returns to Columbus After Suffering Setback

Blue Jackets’ head coach Pascal Vincent told the assembled media in Vancouver on Saturday that Laine suffered a setback in his recovery and has returned to Columbus. The exact details of what the setback was is unknown at this point.

Previously, coach Vincent said that Laine could return to the Blue Jackets’ lineup towards the end of the road trip. The team has three games remaining on that trip including tonight in Vancouver, Sunday night in Seattle and then Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Laine will now not see action until at least Feb 10 against the Tampa Bay Lightning assuming the setback isn’t too serious. He and the team enter the All-Star Break and bye week at the conclusion of this road trip.

Laine’s Rough Season Continues

Laine has appeared in just 18 games for the Blue Jackets this season. That’s after appearing in just 55 games in 2022-23.

Laine suffered a concussion just four games into the season when Flames’ defenseman Rasmus Andersson charged him at the end of the game on Oct 20. That caused him to miss nine games.

Laine then missed three games in December due to an illness. He returned to the lineup on Dec 10 against the Florida Panthers. Then he suffered his current injury, a clavicle fracture, on Dec 14 against the Maple Leafs and hasn’t played since. The timeline announced was approximately six weeks from that date. Thursday in Calgary was exactly six weeks.

Laine even appeared in a trade rumor this week, suggesting the Blue Jackets are “listening” on certain players. Although at this time, a trade seems unlikely.

What’s Next?

It’s hard to say what comes next until there is more information available. Laine was with the team skating until it was discovered he was not on the ice at Rogers Arena Saturday.

We’ll see if the team announces anything in the coming days as to what may have happened or if there’s a more exact timeline. In a season where the playoffs are an after thought, the Blue Jackets should allow Laine all the time he needs to ensure he comes back at 100%.

When ready, Laine needs to use what remaining games there are in 2023-24 to find his confidence going into an intriguing offseason. That should be at the top of the priority list for both he and the team.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets put Adam Boqvist on injured reserve retro to Jan 25 due to an upper-body injury thanks to a puck in the face. He won’t be back until some time after the All-Star Break. Nick Blankenburg was called up to replace Boqvist on the roster but is not expected to play in Vancouver on Saturday.