Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine expected to miss 6 weeks with fractured clavicle

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine is expected to miss six weeks after fracturing his clavicle in Thursday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team said Friday.

Laine suffered the injury in the second period of the 6-5 overtime win. The 25-year-old was pursuing a puck deep in the Columbus zone with Toronto defenseman William Lagesson at 6:48 of the period when he was tripped by Lagesson and slid awkwardly into the end boards, his left shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. After being attended to by Blue Jackets’ trainers, Laine skated off the ice under his own power holding his left shoulder.

Laine has six goals and three assists in 18 games this season, his eighth in the NHL. Columbus is 10-16-5, only ahead of the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference.

How this impacts Columbus

It’s the second dose of bad news in the span of a week for the Blue Jackets. Last Saturday, the Blue Jackets lost captain, No. 1 center and leading scorer Boone Jenner to a broken jaw, suffered when he was struck in the face by a puck during a game versus St. Louis. He is also expected to miss six weeks. — Aaron Portzline, Blue Jackets senior writer

What it means for Laine

It’s been a frustrating season for Laine in Columbus, the latest chapter in what’s been a mostly frustrating run with the Blue Jackets.

In 174 games, Laine has totaled 64 goals, 74 assists and 138 points, putting up a minus-58 rating in those games. This season, Laine had just six goals and three points in 18 games, and he was made a healthy scratch by coach Pascal Vincent on Nov. 19 versus Philadelphia.

One of the biggest issues has been Laine’s ability to stay healthy. Since his trade from Winnipeg on Jan. 23, 2001, Laine has missed 67 games due to illness, injury or other issues. — Portzline