Columbus Blue Jackets star winger Patrik Laine is not travelling with the team as a result of an injury. He was hit hard by the Calgary Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson. Furthermore, after the game, Blue Jacket coach Pascal Vincent was not happy with the hit. He thought that the hit was late. For now, Laine is listed as day-to-day.
Andersson catches Laine with a hit in the dying seconds of the game. pic.twitter.com/VvpTXylYYU
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 21, 2023
Patrik Laine Has an Injury and Is Not Travelling With the Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrik Laine is a star in the NHL. If the Blue Jackets are to have any hope of being competitive this year in the standings, they need all hands on deck. Missing a star like Laine will not be good for their lineup. Last season Laine put up 22 goals, and 30 assists, for 52 points through 55 games. In addition, he had a very impressive CF % Rel of 16.9. Numbers like these make it easy to see why he’s considered a star in the league. Throughout his career, he has 199 goals and 182 assists over the course of 466 games.
Vincent and the rest of the Blue Jacket squad really hope this isn’t anything serious. Laine did skate off under his own power from the hit. However, you could tell it was a hard hit. Also, it was around the head, so not to speculate but these types of injuries always require an extra layer of caution. We all wish Laine a speedy recovery, but for now, he is not travelling with his team.
What Does This Mean for the Blue Jackets
For the 2-2 Blue Jackets, this really needs to be something to motivate the squad. They have a young, talented forward group that includes 2023 third overall pick Adam Fantilli. This injury to Laine will hurt the team’s offence. In what is looking like a high-scoring pace to the NHL as a whole, that is not something that they need.
A Note of Calgary Flames Defenceman Rasmus Andersson
As a further note, for the hit itself, Andersson has been called in for a hearing. And received four games. It did look like it was late and the contact was high. Therefore, those are two issues that the Department of Player Safety will take issue with. Keep an eye out for any further news on whether a suspension is coming for Andersson as a result of this hit.
Main photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
