I've been thinking about how I'm thinking about this. On one hand, I've supported Patrik and whatever stuff he's needed to manage via the PAP. Good for him for acknowledging that he needed it. I certainly hope the best for him as a person, and had held out some hope that he would return to the CBJ lineup and, as someone suggested above, give everyone the middle finger.
However, I've also been a pretty harsh critic of his as a member of he CBJ. I recognize the stats that have been shared that indicate he's a significant contributor in the scoresheet. You'd hope for that. But to my mind, I struggled with the idea, oft-repeated, that he was an elite talent. I haven't seen it, and I certainly didn't/don't want him paid like one, at least not in Columbus. I know stats tell some things very plainly, but to me he very rarely jumped off the page so to speak. Not never, but not frequently. I don't ever feel like what I was seeing in his stat line contributed in any sort of meaningful way to the improvement of the team, nor even to his linemates. I admit I wasn't a huge fan of his in Winnipeg, but whatever hope I had that he would make a lasting impact never came to fruition. His tenure in Columbus has been, to me, disappointing. I'm sorry about that for those who are fans of the player. I guess I'm just not.
So I'm kind of glad for this, assuming it's true. I'm not even worried if he might grow into something in another organization. I'm just done worrying about if or how it could happen here. I won't be happy with a middling return, but at the same time I don't expect a king's random, either. I just hope this his moving on works out best for him and for the CBJ.