Blue Jackets GM bothered by Laine trade rumors: 'People make up shit'

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has seen trade rumors revolving around his star player Patrik Laine, but he confirmed there's no substance to them.

"Yeah, it bothers me because people make up shit, that's what bothers me," Kekalainen said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "I understand that sometimes from conversations you have (with teams), some of it may leak out, and a name gets in there, but this is not a case like that. This is just somebody making shit up from their own speculation of what we might do. They make it up and hope for the headlines and hope for the clicks. I think that's unethical. And I don't have any time for it."

Laine is set to become a restricted free agent again this offseason after signing a one-year, $7.5-million deal with the Blue Jackets last summer. The media has raised questions about Laine's future in Columbus ever since the Blue Jackets acquired him from the Winnipeg Jets in January 2021.

The 23-year-old didn't perform to expectations last season, scoring 10 goals and adding 11 assists over 45 games in Columbus. This campaign has been a different story, with Laine recording 20 goals and 18 assists in 35 games and looking like a legitimate franchise star.

Kekalainen added that he isn't in a rush to extend Laine at this point since the team has two more years of control due to his pending RFA status.

"When the time is right, we're going to sit down and look at all the options together and see if we can come to a solution that he will stay for us for a term that fits the need of both sides and for the dollars that meet the needs of both sides," Kekalainen said.

"Let's see if there's a marriage that we can get into. And if not, you know, that's hockey. I always say, every player that gets into the time frame when they can become (unrestricted) free agents, they can do that if they want to. And there's not much we can do about it."

Since entering the NHL in 2016, Laine ranks eighth in the league with 170 goals in 386 games.