Patrik Laine will make his Blue Jackets debut tonight.
John Tortorella confirmed the news following the team's morning skate on Tuesday morning, hours before their game against the Dallas Stars at Nationwide Arena. Laine, acquired in a blockbuster deal two weeks ago, had to wait on an updated work visa and then go through a mandatory COVID-19 quarantine before officially donning the union blue sweater.
HERE COMES LAINE
The Blue Jackets hope the wait will be worth it.
Laine, 22, is a bona fide superstar and perhaps the most talented goal scorer to ever suit up for the Blue Jackets. He's scored 140 goals in 306 regular season NHL games, including a 44-goal campaign in 2017-18. In the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, Laine scored 28 goals and totaled 63 points in 68 games with the Winnipeg Jets.
Projected Laines #CBJ | @BlueTech_Inc pic.twitter.com/JmrmwrWjHi
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 2, 2021
"We have problems scoring goals–we have the past few years," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said last week. "I've had conversations with Patrik, a couple of them yesterday, and he's a very intelligent guy who wants to know who he's playing with and what the power play setup is."
Laine skated with his new team for the first time Monday, taking part in a light skate with Blue Jackets assistant coaches. It'll be interesting to see where the Blue Jackets use Laine on the power play, but it would hardly be a surprise to see him on the left flank, ready to unleash the one-timer he's come to be known for.
Regardless, this is shaping up to be an exciting night at Nationwide Arena. Stay tuned to 1st Ohio Battery for game coverage, analysis and more as the Laine Era begins in Columbus.
