Patrik Laine remains one of the most intriguing available players in NHL free agency. The Montreal Canadiens have made it clear they have no interest in bringing the 28-year-old winger back to Quebec. The New York Islanders emerged as a potential landing spot at one point, but it appears that is no longer the case.
“The noise that I heard about Patrik Laine came on Day 1 of NHL free agency and Day 1 of NHL free agency only,” Stefen Rosner reported on The Elmonters. “The Islanders had talks with Laine’s camp. I didn’t believe they were willing to offer anything more than a PTO.”
If the Islanders were only interested in signing Laine to a professional tryout and the Finnish winger’s camp stood its ground, then it’s easy to see why talks between the two sides fell apart.
More than a month has passed since the start of free agency, and the buzz around Laine remains relatively dull, with the Islanders falling behind other candidates. Maybe Laine will land with a New York team, just not the one on Long Island.
Patrik Laine at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
NY Rangers and others interested in Laine
While the Islanders are reportedly showing their doubts about Laine and taking a backseat, their cross-town foes, the New York Rangers, appear to be more daring. A report from the Montreal Gazette placed the Rangers among the frontrunners for Laine as the Canadiens give up the once-lethal sniper to the highest bidder.
The Broadway Blueshirts aren’t the only ones in on the Laine sweepstakes, however. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to the former Habs winger for a while now and remain arguably the safest bet to land him. Other candidates include the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, and Minnesota Wild.
Figuring out Laine
As long as Laine remains an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the NHL, however, every organization has a shot at him. Laine is up for grabs; the issue is that many teams are wary of pursuing him after watching his production drop to a bare minimum and concerns about his availability multiply rather than quiet down in recent seasons. Regardless, if any team can get Laine back to his best, it will be getting a top weapon.
The gist of the problem is figuring out whether the embers of Laine’s once red-hot scoring touch can still be reignited or whether they are a thing of the past. Figuring that out while avoiding a contract that could come back to bite an organization is the main issue and what is slowing down any progress between Laine and his camp.
Apparently, the Islanders have made up their minds and feel better off without him. Maybe they will have a sudden change of heart in the future, perhaps too late, or perchance just in the nick of time.
