Tortorella benches Laine for extended period, trouble in CBJ already?

Stop me if you've heard this one before but Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella is under fire after benching one of his star players.

No... I'm not talking about Pierre-Luc Dubois... I'm talking of course about the man he was traded for: Patrik Laine.

Laine, of course, was acquired in a blockbuster trade that involved Dubois after it was alleged that a rift between Dubois and Tortorella fractured his relationship with the team. Now, it appears as though Laine might be Torts' new whipping boy as the Finnish sniper sat for nearly seven minutes during the second period of tonight's game.

Check it out:

#CBJ Patrik Laine didn’t take a shift for the final 6:19 of the second period.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 9, 2021

Well, #CBJ have been through their four lines here early in the third and it appears Patrik Laine is still benched.

His last shift game ended with 6:19 remaining in the second period.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) February 9, 2021