How Patrik Laine's shooting chart changed from Winnipeg to Columbus

And what the Canadiens are hoping for after the trade this week.

I was a guest on Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver on Tuesday morning discussing NHL storylines.

You can hear the full spot here.

We spent a good part of the show discussing Patrik Laine, who was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

While Laine has had some lean years lately, he’s still one of the more entertaining players in the NHL when’s locked in. I also have personally witnessed three of his 10 career hat tricks in person, a side effect of spending my career covering primarily the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings.

At his peak, Laine was a threat to shoot from everywhere. Here is where he scored his goals while with the Winnipeg Jets, courtesy of my friends at InStat.

There is a heavy emphasis on the left-side circle, but Laine was a roving cannon.

On the opposite end, here are his goals from his time in Columbus.

It’s got a lot of the same foundation, that left-circle hammer, but his time in Winnipeg featured more finishes in tight around the net and from the inner-slot.

For the Canadiens, unlocking Laine’s ability to score from in-tight will be a key to the success of this trade. We’ve seen Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis help other individual forwards add elements to their game, so it’s something I’m interested in watching this season.