Another team Patrik Laine refused a trade to has been revealed

After months of speculation, Finnish forward Patrik Laine has finally moved. The Columbus Blue Jackets traded him, along with a 2026 second-round pick, to the Montreal Canadiens for young defenseman Jordan Harris. With things never really seeming to click in Columbus, Laine was ready for a fresh start, and the Blue Jackets agreed with him. The Canadiens weren't the only ones, though, who had interest.

In an interview with La Velle E. Neal III of the "Minnesota Star Tribune" this week, Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin said his club was interested in acquiring Patrik Laine. According to Guerin, the 26-year-old had declined to come to the Wild, as he had a no-trade clause.

He would have bolstered a lineup that featured youngsters like Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov for the Wild. The Finnish winger ultimately decided on Montreal, which is a team that can do real damage in a few years from now.

With the trade finally settled, Patrik Laine can finally put in the time to get ready for the 2024-25 season. He has already started training with the team as if to say he is ready to chip in toward its development.

While the Canadiens might not be an immediate playoff contender, the progress of the team will be measured by how competitive they remain deep into this season. A push for a wild-card position with steady improvement would go down as a successful campaign in Montreal's rebuild saga.

Source: Blades of Steel
Patrik Laine reportedly rejected trade to Western Conference team this summer