Blue Jackets' Patrik Laine enters NHL/NHLPA player assistance program

Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine will be out indefinitely while he receives care from the NHL and NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program, the league announced on Sunday.

GM Jarmo Kekäläinen issued the following statement:

"Patrik has our complete support, and our sole concern is his well-being. Out of respect for Patrik, we will have no further comment."

Laine, 25, has not played since sustaining a clavicle fracture on Dec. 14 against the Maple Leafs. Head coach Pascal Vincent said on Saturday that Laine had suffered a setback in his recovery and left the team’s road trip to return to Columbus.

The Finnish winger is in his fourth season with the Blue Jackets since a Jan. 2021 blockbuster deal saw him arrive in Columbus by way of Winnipeg, who selected him second overall in the 2016 draft. The clavicle injury, as well as an illness, an upper-body injury and one healthy scratch, have limited him to 18 games in 2023-24.

His six goals and three assists equate to 0.50 points per game, a sharp decline after averaging 0.97 points per game across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. This year’s injuries have played a significant role in his lack of production, though. Before sustaining the clavicle fracture, Laine had points in five of his last six games.

Laine has 64 goals, 74 assists and 138 points in 174 games since the Blue Jackets acquired him. His 204 career goals and 388 career points rank fourth among 2016 draftees behind Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk and Alex DeBrincat.

The 6-foot-5, 215-lb winger is in the second season of a four-year, $34.8M contract with an $8.7M cap hit signed in July 2022. He has a 10-team no-trade list and will be a UFA upon expiry in 2026.