VANCOUVER -- Patrik Laine had a setback in his recovery from a broken clavicle and has been sent back to Columbus, according to Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent.
Laine has been out since he sustained the injury during a 6-5 overtime loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 14, when his timeline to return was estimated at six weeks. He rejoined the Blue Jackets in practice two weeks ago and was hoping to return before the end of their five-game road trip at the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
“He's going to head back to Columbus, just a setback with the injury,” Vincent said after the morning skate prior to the Blue Jackets visiting the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; SN1, CITY, SNP, BSOH). “He's not going to be able to play on the trip.”
Vincent did not have an updated timeline for Laine’s return, but after the game in St. Louis, the Blue Jackets don’t play again until Feb. 10.
Columbus (15-23-9), which is in eighth place in the Metropolitan Division, is 4-6-4 in its past 14 games.
The 25-year-old forward has nine points (six goals, three assists) and is minus-10 in 18 games this season. Laine missed nine games in October and November with a concussion, was a healthy scratch for the first time in the NHL against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 19, and missed three games with an illness in early December.
Laine had five points in his last six games (three goals, two assists) before his latest injury, which has kept him out 16 games and will force him to miss at least three more, including Saturday.
Selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Laine has 388 points (204 goals, 184 assists) in 480 NHL games with the Jets and Blue Jackets and 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
He was acquired by Columbus with forward Jack Roslovic in a trade with Winnipeg for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft on Jan. 23, 2021.
