Patrik Laine very sour in Columbus, comments on being healthy scratched against Flyers

Patrik Laine's career has been chock full of ups and downs, with the highs being very high in the form of a 44-goal sophomore season and the lows being very low, in the form of a healthy scratch this past Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Laine will forever have a loose connection to Toronto, as he was drafted 2nd overall, just behind franchise cornerstone Auston Matthews. At the time, Laine believed he should have been the top pick in the draft and, for a short while after his draft year, he was a man on a mission to prove to the Leafs that they had made the wrong choice. Obviously, Leafs Nation and the rest of the hockey world knows the truth. We picked the right player at #1.

Laine's healthy scratch this weekend wasn't as hot a topic as it should have been around the league, largely because of where he plays. Columbus isn't exactly the booming hockey market that Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston or Chicago is. Had Laine been playing in one of those cities, it would be headline news for a former 2nd overall pick being healthy scratched. However, in Columbus, it barely made the headlines at all.

While it may not be a big deal to the rest of the hockey world, Laine told the media on Tuesday that his scratch this weekend was among the most embarrassing things that have ever happened to him in his career. He has been benched a number of times since landing in Columbus after being traded by the Winnipeg Jets, but he had never been a healthy scratch. It didn't sit too well with him.



The 25-year-old has amassed just 2 goals and 1 assist this season through 9 games, which is well below expectations after recording 52 points in 55 games last season. The question is, will the benching motivate him to put forth a more concerted effort and play better, or has it rubbed him the wrong way and soured him on the organization?

Laine is signed through 2025-26 and carries an $8.7M cap hit.