Lynn is willing to do whatever it takes to contribute to Canadians.

Patrik Laine is excited about hockey again and is eager to get back to the level of play he was at when he joined the NHL in 2016, especially in terms of his goal production.

“I don’t want to come back scoring 30 goals. I want to come back scoring 40 or 50 goals. I’ve done it before and it wasn’t by accident,” Laine said after being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

“But it’s not just that. I want to contribute to the team and do whatever it takes to help the team win, whether it’s scoring 50 points or 20 points, as long as the team wins. I’ve reached that age, I’m not 19 anymore. I just want to win.”

In fact, the 26-year-old is ready for a fresh start with the Canadiens, who are looking to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs after failing to qualify for the past three seasons. He has two seasons remaining on the four-year, $34.8 million contract (with an average annual value of $8.7 million) he signed with Columbus on July 22, 2022.

Laine was selected second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft, and has scored 388 points (204 goals, 184 assists) in 480 games with the Jets and Blue Jackets. He scored 44 goals with the Jets in the 2017–18 season, a career-high, after scoring 36 goals in his rookie season (2016–17).

Lin comes off a tough season on and off the ice. He had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 18 games last season but last played on Dec. 14 with a broken collarbone, which he underwent surgery on.

He then began receiving care from the NHL/NHL Player Assistance Program on Jan. 28. He was cleared from the program on July 26. Through the program, Laine said, he “learned things about himself, how to handle certain situations.”

“You’re always going to face a lot of things, a lot of adversity, a lot of good things, and it’s how you deal with that. I haven’t always been the best at dealing with that,” Lin said.

“Now, it’s about how you deal with these tough times. It’s about seeing things from a more positive perspective, and dealing with things from a more positive perspective these days. I’ve learned how to deal with tough times. I feel like I’m in a really good place and I couldn’t be more excited with the news today.”