The injury bug continues to run with high speed in Columbus. A Patrik Laine injury has occurred once again. According to a team press release, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be without star forward Patrik Laine. He is out for two to four weeks with an upper-body injury. Never ideal to lose your star player.
INJURY UPDATE: #CBJ F Patrik Laine is expected to miss two-to-four weeks due to a triceps strain suffered in practice on Thursday.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) March 24, 2023
Laine Sidelined with Injury
The 2022-2023 season has not been a kind one to the Blue Jackets. Their luck is getting worse as Patrik Laine is out for multiple weeks with a triceps strain suffered in practice on Tuesday.
Laine, 24, has 52 points in 55 games this season. He is second on the team in points right behind free-agent signing Johnny Gaudreau, who has 65 points in 62 games.
This injury isn’t the first time Laine has been off with an injury. Laine has missed over a month with a sprained ankle, and he missed more time as he recovered from a positive Covid-19 diagnosis in late December.
What This Means
The Patrik Laine injury is not the end of the world. For the Jackets, this confirms that their season is over, and they can focus on getting the highest pick possible.
Considering this is not Laine’s first injury this season, he is expected not to return for the remaining 12 games. This will be great rest for the star winger.
Losing Laine does get them closer to the prize. That prize is Connor Bedard. According to Tankathon, they still have the highest odds, with a 25.0% chance of getting it.
So far, Laine has not played an entire season with the blue jackets. While playing 56 and 45 games in his last two seasons in Columbus, this season, he only has recorded 55.
With this production, Laine will record an average of 55 games yearly until his four-year,$34.8 million deal expires in the 2025-2026 season.
Main Photo: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
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