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Around the NHL: Patrik Laine cleared from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Ryley Delaney
Jul 29, 2024, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 29, 2024, 11:34 EDT
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We’re just over 10 weeks from the start of the 2024-25 National Hockey League season.
In recent times, a young depth player found a home on an American Hockey League contract, a rebuilding team has re-signed two young players, and a second-overall pick has cleared the Player Assistance Program.
Let’s dig into all of that in the latest Around the NHL!

Patrik Laine cleared from NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program

Back in January, Patrik Laine entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, but was thankfully cleared on July 26.
What isn’t clear is Laine’s future, as the 2016 second-overall pick asked for a trade in mid-June, a request that the Columbus Blue Jackets’ new general manager, Don Waddell, agreed to. Trade talks were on pause while Laine was completing the program, but the interest is high now.
Laine scored a career-high 44 goals and 70 points in 2017-16, but has fallen short of the 40-goal mark since then. Still, he’s had a productive career for himself, scoring 204 goals and 388 points in 480 games.
This won’t be the first trade Laine has been involved in, as early in the 2020-21 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired him and Jack Roslovic for Pierre-Luc Dubois. 

Columbus re-sign a pair of young players

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they’ve signed two players in the past two days, Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko.
The former was selected fifth-overall in the 2021 draft and signed to a three-year deal worth $5.4 million, or $1.8 million annually. It wasn’t a great season for the 21-year-old forward, as he scored six goals and 16 points in 42 games, but had 16 goals and 40 points in 79 games the season prior.
Marchenko is a bit further along in his development, and he signed to a three-year deal worth $11.55 million, or $3.85 million annually. Since coming over from the Kontinental Hockey League, he has 44 goals and 67 points in 137 games. Last season, the 24-year-old scored 23 goals and 42 points in 78 games, a new career-high in both regards.

Alex Nylander signs an American Hockey League deal

One player that the Columbus Blue Jackets won’t employ in 2024-25 is Alex Nylander, as the 26-year-old forward signed an American Hockey League deal with the Toronto Marlies.
Nylander, younger brother of William Nylander, was selected eighth-overall in the 2016 draft, but hasn’t panned out in the NHL. His best season was in 2019-20 with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he scored 10 goals and 26 points in 65 games.
He was on pace for an even better season while playing for the Blue Jackets in 2023-24, scoring 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games, as well as 17 goals and 32 points in 43 AHL games. However, he’ll likely start the 2024-25 season with the Marlies.

Rafaël Harvey-Pinard undergoes leg surgery

Some unfortunate news out of Montréal, as Canadiens forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard underwent successful leg surgery on his broken leg that he sustained in off-season practice.
Harvey-Pinard made a name for himself in 2022-23 with the Canadiens, scoring 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games with the lottery draft bound team. Unfortunately for both him and the Canadiens, he was unable to replicate his success in 2023-24, scoring just two goals and 10 points in 45 games in a season marred with injuries.
The 25-year-old is expected to be out for about four months, meaning he could be back around November. Hopefully he heals up soon!
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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