Acquired Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris and a 2026 second-round draft pick. Today we will discuss about Jordan harris Football: Trade,Contract,Columbus Blue Jackets,linkedin.
Jordan harris Football: Trade,Contract,Columbus Blue Jackets,linkedin
Club President and General Manager of Hockey Operations Don Waddell announced today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired defenseman Jordan Harris from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round selection.
“We want players who want the Blue Jackets, and Patrick made it clear he feels a change of scenery is best for him,” Waddell said. “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 Patrick all the best.”
The 24-year-old Harris has recorded eight goals and 24 assists for 32 points with 56 penalty minutes since being selected by Montreal in the third round in the 2018 NHL Draft. He posted 3-11-14 with 22 penalty minutes, 86 blocked shots and 43 shots on goal, while averaging 17:28 of ice time in 56 games with the Canadiens in 2023-24.
A native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Harris recorded career highs in 2022-23, finishing with 4-13-17, 26 PIM, 98 blocked shots and 70 shots on goal in 65 contests with Montreal. The average ice time was 18:39. He finished second among all NHL rookies in blocked shots and seventh among rookie blueliners in assists and points. He made his NHL debut in 2021–22, going 1–0–1 and collecting eight PIM in 10 games.
The 5-11, 190-pound blueliner posted 15-58-73 in 130 career games over four seasons at Northeastern University from 2018-22. Serving as team captain in his senior year in 2021–22, he was named to the NCAA Second All-American Team after finishing with 5-15-20 in 39 contests. He skated for the United States at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championships.
The 26-year-old Laine has posted 204-184-388 points with 185 PIM and 1,390 shots on goal in 480 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets since being selected second overall by the Jets.
Trade
The Montreal Canadiens have acquired Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round draft pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier Monday that talks between the Canadiens and Blue Jackets regarding the forward have gained “momentum.”
That the Blue Jackets, a team that is trading more notable players and is in a rebuilding situation after losing for the fourth consecutive season, were moving a draft pick is somewhat surprising.
Still, he will at least have more financial flexibility because he won’t retain any of Laine’s $8.7 million salary, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
Laine’s time with Columbus also seemed to be coming to an end before this trade.
Jordan harris Football: Trade,Contract,Columbus Blue Jackets,linkedin
He played only 18 games last season due to a fractured left clavicle and then entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January.
“After careful consideration and discussion with my support network and team, I have recognized the importance of prioritizing my mental health and well-being,” Laine said on Instagram at the time (via Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press). “Hockey has been my passion and my life, but I have realized that in order to perform at my best, I need to focus on myself right now.”
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported in June that Laine and the Blue Jackets were working together to make a deal this offseason.
Jordan harris Football: Trade,Contract,Columbus Blue Jackets,linkedin
Columbus’s loss is Montreal’s gain, as if Laine can stay healthy the Canadiens will have more firepower on offense. The 2017 All-Star led the league with 20 power-play goals during his second NHL season in 2017–18 and had a career-high 70 points with 44 goals and 26 assists.
He began his career with four consecutive seasons of 50 or more points on the Winnipeg Jets and averaged 56 points in 2021–22 and 52 points in 2022–23 for the Blue Jackets.
As far as Columbus is concerned, Harris will provide additional defensive depth.
Contract
Harris has one season remaining on his contract with a $1.4 million salary cap hit, after which he can become a restricted free agent.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Canadiens need more forwards who can score goals and now they have a player who has shown in the past he can do that.
General manager Kent Hughes announced Monday afternoon that the Canadiens have acquired forward Patrik Laine and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris.
There are some red flags with Line, who played only 18 games with the Blue Jackets last season and posted 6-3-9 totals.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound winger has not played since breaking his left clavicle during a game in mid-December. Laine also entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January and has admitted to struggling with mental health at times during his eight-year NHL career.
“After careful consideration and discussion with my support network and team, I have recognized the importance of prioritizing my mental health and well-being,” Lane said on Instagram after entering the NHL/NHLPA program. “Hockey has been my passion and my life, but I have realized that in order to perform at my best, I need to focus on myself right now.”
The Finnish forward has two seasons remaining on his contract and an annual salary cap of US$8.7 million, after which he can become an unrestricted free agent. Laine becomes the Canadiens’ highest-paid player, surpassing captain Nick Suzuki with an annual salary cap of US$7.857 million.
During a video conference after Monday’s trade, Hughes said Laine’s contract situation was not a concern for him.
“This is not a contract we negotiated,” the GM said. “It’s a two-year contract.”
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell allowed Hughes to speak directly to Line before making the trade.
Laine was looking for a fresh start with a new team and asked the Blue Jackets to trade him. Waddell, who was hired as GM and president of hockey operations for the Blue Jackets in May, got Laine his wish.
The Canadiens now have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, as well as a first-round pick and two second-round picks in 2026.
Harris, 24, totaled 3-11-14 in 56 games with the Canadiens last season. He was selected by the Canadiens in the third round (71st overall) of the 2018 NHL draft. Harris has one season remaining on his contract with a $1.4 million salary-cap hit, after which he can become a restricted free agent.
“We want players who want to be a Blue Jackets and Patrick has made it clear he feels a change of scenery is best for him,” Waddell said on the Blue Jackets’ website. “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 Patrick all the best.”
Linehan is expected to start next season with the Canadiens on the second line, alongside Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, behind Suzuki’s first line between Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski. The line should also be able to help the Canadiens’ power play, which ranked 27th in the NHL with a 17.5 per cent success rate last season. Seventy of Laine’s 204 career goals have come on the power play.
Jordan harris Football: Trade,Contract,Columbus Blue Jackets,linkedin
The Jets traded Laine to the Blue Jackets on January 23, 2021, along with Jack Roslovic in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (center Daniel Zilkin). Lane did not want to provide details about what went wrong in Columbus while speaking to the media in a video conference after Monday’s trade.
“It just wasn’t a good fit for me,” he said. “I think the team and I need to move on and as an individual I need a fresh start somewhere else. I feel like I’m going to leave it there. Now I’m more focused on what’s ahead of me instead of what’s in the rear-view mirror. I’m in the same situation.”
Laine said he was “super excited” to move to Montreal.
