Patrik Laine links up with $52,500,000 NFL star and others for intense offseason condition training

By Evan Bell

Modified Jul 20, 2024 15:49 GMT

2017 NHL All-Star Patrik Laine is fresh off a disappointing season with the Columbus Blue Jackets that saw the team finish last in the Metropolitan Division. While his name has continued to pop up in the NHL's rumor mill, Laine has started getting in some offseason conditioning work alongside a number of American Football players, namely Jerry Jeudy of the NFL's Cleveland Browns and more.

In a video posted on Instagram, Patrik Laine was seen working on an S-run drill that helps athletes strengthen the outside edge of their feet, and in turn their ankles. Laine was working out alongside Alexander Johnson, Chris Lammons, Tevon Coney, Jerry Jeudy, Mike diLiello and DeShon Elliot. Jeudy will enter next season after signing a three-year, $52.5 million contract with the Browns in March.

Laine was the only non-football player to participate, however, given the strain skating places on NHL players' feet, the drill is certainly applicable. Each player were seen taking tuns on the S-run course, as seen in a post from Dr. Sharif Tabbah, the Dr. of Physical Therapy at Alkeme Sports Physical Therapy.

In the caption of the video, he explained the importance of the drill, and how it benefits athletes:

"All athletes end up stressing their ankles in this way so in order to avoid injury and improve efficiency and performance you must train curvilinear running! ...

"Running arcs works the outside edge of your inside foot, stressing the medial ankle eccentrically and the lateral ankle compressively, and works the calves and lower leg muscles in a unique way, compared to linear running."

Looking back at the 2023-24 season for Patrik Laine, and his future with the Columbus Blue Jackets

Last season, Patrik Laine played in just 18 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, in what was his fourth season with the team. After being traded to Columbus early in the 2020-21 season, Laine wound up signing a four-year extension with the Blue Jackets ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Last year, however, in mid-December, Patrik Laine suffered a broken collarbone that derailed his season after a turning point saw him find his rhythm on the ice. While the expectation was that he would only be sidelined for a few weeks, in late January he suffered a setback with the injury.

As a result, the timeline for his return was subsequently pushed back and he wound up missing the remainder of the season after entering the NHL's Player Assistance Program.

At the time, he opened up on the situation in a post on Instagram, sharing an update with fans in which he explained that he was prioritizing his mental health. At the same time, Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement on the situation, as relayed by ESPN:

"Patrik has our complete support, and our sole concern is his well-being. Out of respect for Patrik, we will have no further comment."

Since then, Laine has found his name in the rumor mill as a potential trade candidate this summer, however, so far, nothing has come to fruition for Columbus.