Okay, I'm going to read the tweet directly from the @reportercriss on Twitter. The haves have acquired Patrick Laine and a 2026 second round pick from Columbus for Jordan Harris. There was no salary retained on the Patrick Laine trade with Montreal. Patrick Laine, now a Montreal Canadian. Chris Johnson, what do you know about this? I guess we start with Patrick and we start with the no salary retained. This is a big move.

It is a big move, and it was one, I think, until the last few days, the Blue Jackets weren't sure if they were going to be able to make it just because of the $8.7 million on Patrick Laine's Capit. They had a general unwillingness, I think, to retain salary in this move. And so as the summer has gone along, obviously Lyna's name has been out there. It's been well known that he wanted a change of scenery. But I don't know that Columbus was sure they were going to be able to find someone that would take his full salary. And finally, in the last few days, it became apparent that Montreal was willing to do that, and they managed to get this deal across the finish line. And so I think the fact that from Montreal's end of it, they're getting a player that still has, I think, an intriguing amount of potential of what he could be. And in Columbus's stance, the fact that they've cleared his salary right off the books gives them the ability to maybe look towards other moves. But those two main points, I think, satisfied what each team needed to make this deal happen I want to talk about, obviously, the angles from Columbus and Montreal's perspective.

But let's start with Patrick Liny himself, because Don Wendell was on overdrive with Brian Hayes because I think noodles and Jeff O'Neill are off for the summer. And he said, Listen, we want people that want to be Columbus Blue Jackets. Why do you think it was time for a change of scenery for Patrick?

I think it was more about his life in that city, things had gone on with him. Obviously, he was in the NHL, NHLPA player assistance program for a good chunk of this last year. He's been cleared from that this summer. But I think that there was parts of that environment that were not productive for him or not triggering Good thoughts. I mean, I think it's natural, I suppose, if you go through a tough time, which obviously Lina has on a personal standpoint to want a fresh start. And so he's able to do that. So I'm not privy to all of the exact happenings of what's led him to that point. But I think the fact that the team has struggled, he went through some injury trouble, and then he's had some personal issues as well that he's had to address here in the last few months. I think that all came together. And he'd come to the conclusion he wanted to move on before there was any change in management with the coaching staff, which has happened this summer. This is not related to Don Wendell taking over the the Blue Jackets that he's saying, I need a new GM.

I need out of here. No, it's more, I think, something that's built up over some time. The Blue Jackets obviously have gone to some lengths here to see that through, to honor his request to understand where he's coming from, and yet making a deal that they feel good about with Jordan Harris coming back. As I mentioned earlier, getting all that cap room. There's all sorts of avenues that could take in the short term. Even as we look to next summer in free agency, they'll just have more money naturally to spend, assuming they don't use that cap space in the meantime. I think that this has worked out in a way that will satisfy all parties. What's interesting is Patrick Laine likes the spotlight. Usually, maybe when someone's gone through a difficult personal struggle, you think maybe they just want to go somewhere quiet and go about their business. I mean, clearly, his best hockey in the NHL, his most consistent brand of hockey, was when he was in Winnipeg, when he was a second overall pick in a Canadian market, getting a lot of attention. And certainly that's something I think he welcomes about the move to Montreal, is just being in a hockey mad city again.

And with a team that now has, I think even before this deal, but after this deal, an idea that they're going to be closer to the play-out picture, that they're going to be playing more meaningful games. And obviously, every move that happens with the Canadians is closely scrutinized. It sounds almost counterintuitive, but I think he's excited about the opportunity to go somewhere where all those eyeballs and all that media spotlight is going to be on him as well.

It's going to be a fun place to play. There's There's nothing like the Bell Center. As a leaf fan, I hate to say it, but there's nothing like the Bell Center when it's rocking. It's so much fun to be there, and I think he'll love jumping into that. Now, Montreal has got a pretty stacked right side. Here. You've got Cole Caulfield, Patrick Lyonet, Josh Anderson is going to play at the last couple of years of his deal, and then Brennan Gallagher. There's some good veteran presence behind Cole Caulfield. Do you think that from Montreal's perspective, as a team, Do they look to now upgrade their second-line center before the season starts? Kirby Doc, obviously, coming off of an injury. Christian Dvorak is another option, but hasn't worked out, I think, the way that Mark Bergevin, who acquired him, probably thought he would. Do you think that Montreal goes with it the way it is, or do you think they do some more maneuvering and try to get that second-line center in and maybe take a step this year?

We're at the stage of the summer where Kent Hughes isn't turning off his phone. But I think it's intuitive to look at their cat picture and understand. I think it'd be tough to see them making another move of significance between now and the start of the season. But this is a front office, really, since Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes have taken over the Canadian tier in the last couple of years. They've shown no lack of fear, of trepidation to take some big swings. So I think the easy answer is I don't expect a significant move between now and the start of the year, but let's see how the season plays out. At the last couple of trade deadlines, we've seen them moving out players. I think that they hope that they're not in a position where they're talking about selling off some of their veterans, that they're right in the thick of the playoff race, but maybe there's some opportunity for them there. But the center position, I just don't see an easy fix or fit at this point in time because they really are right at the cap ceiling with taking on all of Line A's contract.

They're going to have to do some maneuvering in training camp before the opening night rosters are set in order to fix themselves under the ceiling. I think they can do that, but it's hard to see them squeezing in another significant salary. But I will say, funny anecdotally, I have a friend who's a big Habs fan. He's not in our industry. He texted me tonight when he saw this trade, and he said, I've never felt like a GM has been better than this one they have now in Montreal. He just really likes the aggressiveness. I don't think Montreal, while there's not necessarily any reason to think they're going to upgrade before opening night, They certainly realize that there's still some road here to be traveled, and they're going to have to address some other areas of their teams. Unfortunately, they have guys like Josh Anderson, Brandon Gallagher at this stage of their careers, what we've seen in the last couple of seasons, not performing at the level they're paid at. Those are tough contracts to move with multiple years left. I'm sure they're hoping for a bit more out of those players, but there's still more dealing that could be done from their blue line, too.

I mean, you remove Jordan Harris from this group because they have so many younger players and prospects coming along. I see room for Hudson maybe to join this group. Is Mike Matheson a long term solution for them? I think that there's definitely more pieces to be played, but this was the last big one, I suspect, of the summer, unless they really surprise me between now and the start of October.

It's an exciting time to be a Canadian fan, even if they finish eighth in the division, which I think is still probably the odds on prediction.

Oh, wow. You're bearish, C.

C. J, it has to be. Come on. Are they better than Buffalo? Are they better than Detroit? Are they better than Ottawa? I mean, they're probably better than Ottawa. I don't think Ottawa is that great, but maybe with Lena Solmark, they are. I don't know.

I don't say that... None of this is betting advice, but I would take odds that they won't finish last. I think that they will be better than at least one or more of those teams. Really?

Okay.

Maybe I'm drinking some Kool-Aid, you get excited the day it trades me, but I really think Montreal is going to take a step forward. Now, they have a long way to go before they're knock on the door the playoff spot, but I like their offseason. I like what they did with extending Slavkowski when they did, and you saw some growth out of him. I think that they're going to be a much better team than where they've been next year. But they're still Just miles. It's like the Grand Canyon between the top teams in this division and these other four teams that have been trying to chase them down for a playoff spot these last three or four seasons.

Absolutely. Now, from the Columbus perspective, obviously, there's been a lot of there. This time last year, we didn't know it yet, but we were about two weeks away from the Mike Babcock situation, which kicked off literally at the beginning of September, the going through phone stuff and whatever. Columbus has had, they had probably one of the worst years they've ever had in franchise history. Aaron Portsline of The Athletic, one of your coworkers, wrote a really great piece towards the end of the season, which was the Columbus Blue Jackets, the organization that parody forgot. Don Wendell is somebody that comes in and puts great systems in place. He's good on the business side, he's good on the hockey side. If he doesn't know something, he hires somebody who does. You saw that with Eric Tulsky in Carolina. I'm wondering what the direction and the goal of the franchise is this season. What are they getting in Jordan Harris, and what do they expect out of the Columbus Blue Jackets on the ice this season in Don Wendell's first season there?

Well, I think they're realistic. They know they have dig out from some of what the last regime did. I mean, you look back even to last summer, they make the big sign and trade with Damon Severson. They bring in Mike Babcock. They made some other moves, Ivan Provarov. A lot of it was designed to have a short term bump to become more competitive. And for all kinds of reasons, it didn't work out. They had some injury trouble. Zack Wrenske, again, was sidelined for a significant portion of last season, but it went right off the rails. I don't think there's any secret about that. Obviously, Pascal Vincent, thrown into a tough spot as our head coach for last season, tried to really put his foot down in some circumstances. I'm not sure if that worked out the way he would want. Now facing another year, another new head coach. I'm with you on Don Wendell. I mean, he's someone who doesn't... I say this with actually the best way you could put this. He doesn't have to say it's my way or the highway. I think he's very much a collaborative leader, someone who will take different opinions millions, and we'll take a creative look at how they can make the team better.

But they're two years away from being two years away when he steps in the door. And so I think they have very modest expectations for this coming season. But even doing something like taking 8.7 million off the books for this coming season and the next one for a player who didn't want to be in Columbus, you add Jordan Harris, who's a younger piece that will be part of their Blue Line mix. I mean, all these become incremental moves that you're trying to make towards getting back to being a team that can compete. And so there's no reason to think that can't happen with good leadership over the next three to four years for the Blue Jackets. But I don't see anything in the short term. I mean, they still have to figure out what they're doing with Elvis Mersleekans, their goal tender. I know Don has looked at him and said, he was someone I wanted to trade for a couple of years ago when I was running the Carolina Hurricane. So I think he wants to give it some time. But I think they have to figure out what they really have. I suspect we'll see at least one or two more trades like this line ideal, where you're basically moving out some of the players that have been there and trying to turn it over.

Obviously, they're hoping to draft and develop well. I think reasonably in Columbus, it's going to take some time. But a move like this, if you're following a team that's really underperformed and not showing signs of growth, you're hoping that this can be positive steps in the right direction. We see it in the NHL. It takes a long time sometimes when you bottom out. That's where the Blue Jackets have been. They hope for better days ahead. But at the end of the day, they're still taking a player off the roster. I think we can all cheer for Patrick Laine, the person, no matter what jersey he's wearing. Given how open he's been with his struggles, I think he wants to be a positive leader in the mental health space coming out of what he's been through. But in Columbus, they're still taking away guys who put the buck in the net, not as much as they would have liked, but they haven't added another one in his steed here. I'll be interested to see how they spend that new cap space and how things evolve. But I think this is just the start of a long project for Dawn Woodell.

Chris, we don't often get the chance to do this. So I want to say thank you that on Monday, August 19th, you made time for an instant analysis, SDPN Trade Video. I do appreciate it. You look tanned and rested, my friend.

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. And it's been an interesting August here. We've had, what, seven, 10 days of some activity where we don't always get it in the NHL calendar. And so I'm happy to work when there's something to work for, if that makes sense.

Might have to call you again at noon tomorrow when we find out about Edmonton with Broberg and Hollowey, because there's been no confirmation on that just yet.

No, and my phone will be on. So whatever you need, my friend.

Okay. Thanks, Chris. Appreciate it.

Cheers.