Blue Jackets issue concerning update on Patrik Laine.

Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Patrik Laine stunned the hockey world earlier in the season when he announced that he would be stepping away from the Blue Jackets and the National Hockey League as a whole to focus on his mental health and well being. Laine would enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on the 28th of January of this year with am official announcement coming from the NHLPA and he has not returned to action since that time.

Unfortunately the latest update on the Finnish forward comes in the form of more bad news, with this update coming directly from Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson.

"He won’t be back this season," said Davidson on Saturday as per Aaron Portzline.

This will mean that Laine will have suited up for just 18 games this season for the Blue Jackets, producing just 6 goals and 3 assists for a total of 9 points over that stretch of play.

Laine is currently just in the second year of a 4 year deal he signed with now former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen in the summer of 2022, a deal that carries an average annual value and a cap hit of $8.7 million per season. There's no telling whether or not Laine will be back come next season or at any point during the course of his current deal with the Blue Jackets.

Thankfully Laine's position as an NHL hockey player means he does have the benefit of resources like the Player Assistance Program at his disposal, and I can only hope that they will help him make a full and speedy recovery from what has been ailing him.