Blue Jackets' Patrik Laine signs 4-year, $34.8M extension

Restricted free agent forward Patrik Laine signed a four-year, $34.8 million contract extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

The move was announced a few hours before the deadline to accept qualifying offers at 5 p.m. ET on Friday.

"One of our priorities this summer was signing Patrik Laine to a contract extension. He is a special player, one of the truly elite goal scorers in the National Hockey League, an