from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic,

It can be risky, even unfair, for an outsider to pretend they understand the inner workings and relationships in an NHL dressing room.

But Laine always seemed to march to his own beat, more of a lone wolf than part of the pack. He’s acknowledged being slow to trust people, reluctant to let them get close. Nobody’s accused him of being a divisive player, to be sure, but he’s never been counted on as a glue guy or as part of the leadership group, either.

That may be changing in Columbus this season. Laine is now one of the older players in the dressing room, and certainly among the most experienced (462 games). This will be his eighth NHL season, and he’s carrying himself with the air of somebody who is ready to take the next step.

“Everybody’s evolving, and that’s him, too, for sure,” said Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent, who has known Laine since they were together in Winnipeg during Laine’s draft year. “He feels like he’s listened to here, like he can speak. He’s respected in the room. Guys like him, and he feels a part of it.”

Blue Jackets management was impressed that Laine opted to spend the bulk of this summer in Columbus, even taking part in a summer league in the suburbs with several other players. In previous summers, he headed back to Finland until a couple of weeks before training camp.

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