Canadiens acquire Laine, pick from Blue Jackets for Harris

The Montreal Canadiens acquired forward Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Jordan Harris, the teams announced Monday.

Laine, 26, had requested a trade out of Columbus. He has two seasons remaining on his contract at a $8.7-million cap hit. The Blue Jackets aren't retaining any salary.

"We want players that want to be Blue Jackets, and Patrik made it clear that he thought a change of scenery was best for him," Columbus president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "We were able to acquire a good young player in Jordan Harris while maintaining financial flexibility in this deal, which was very important to us. We wish Patrik all the best."

The Finnish sniper recorded six goals and nine points in 18 games last season. Laine sustained a broken clavicle in December before entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in January. He exited the program in July.

Injury woes plagued Laine's four seasons in Columbus as he never reached the 60-game mark in a single season. When he was on the ice, he was a dangerous presence, operating at a 30-goal pace with 64 goals in 174 total games.

Laine last hit the 30-goal mark in 2018-19 as a 20-year-old with the Winnipeg Jets. He reached a career-high 44 goals at 19 the prior season.

The No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft after Auston Matthews, Laine has accrued 204 goals and 388 points in 480 career contests.

Harris, 24, tallied 14 points in 54 games last season and played 17:28 per contest. He has one year left at $1.4 million and is set to become a restricted free agent next summer.

The Northeastern product posted strong underlying numbers in a third-pairing role. Harris' 6.2 expected goals above replacement last season led all Montreal defensemen, according to Evolving-Hockey.

The Canadiens drafted Harris 71st overall in 2018. He totaled 32 points in 131 games over parts of three seasons in Montreal.