Slafkovský has a new partner. He should be an NHL star, who ended up in the help program | Sports.sk

Finnish forward Patrik Laine will continue his career with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadian NHL club overseas acquired him from Columbus along with a 2026 second-round draft pick in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris. Laine will be a teammate of Slovakian player Juraj Slafkovský in Montreal.

Twenty-six-year-old Laine last played for Columbus on December 14 last year, when he was sidelined with a broken collarbone. In January, he then entered the NHL and NHLPA player assistance program for mental health or substance abuse treatment.

Laine himself asked to be transferred to another club, and the Blue Jackets management agreed. “He made it clear he wanted a fresh start somewhere else,” said Don Waddell, Columbus general manager.

Laine became the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft. He was selected by Winnipeg, from there he went to Columbus after four years. In the first four years in the NHL, he scored at least 28 goals each time, and in the 2017/2018 season he shone with 44 goals.

In the regular season, he collected a total of 388 points (204 + 184) in 480 duels, in the playoffs he added 24 meetings and 16 points (8 + 8). Last season he played only 18 games with a record of 6 + 3. For two more seasons, he will receive a four-year contract in the total amount of 34.8 million US dollars, the official website of the memory profile.

Harris, who is twenty-four years old, played in the jersey of the Canadiens for less than three seasons, with a total of 131 duels and 32 points (8 + 24).