It’s safe to say Patrik Laine‘s career hasn’t turned out to be the one many expected. Still, his shooting ability is something that could tempt the New Jersey Devils as they continue to build the roster for the upcoming 2026 NHL season.
Since Sunny Mehta arrived as the top guy on the Devils, he’s been on a mission to overhaul the franchise with changes on the roster and on the coaching staff. Now, he might look into Laine, as the team needs shooting. The Islanders have also shown some restricted interest on Laine.
At one point, Laine was expected to be one of the top scorers in the NHL. Now, he has no team. Since Laine missed so many games the last two seasons due to injuries and other shenanigans, Mehta could offer him a minimum salary with bonus additions and Laine might just accept it.
If Laine is still good at shooting, the Devils need him
Laine has created a reputation of being quite a headache. However, if he proves to still have a 98.37 MPH top shot, the Devils could, at a bargain price, be very tempted to give him a shot at redemption.
However, if Laine is not capable to provide top-tier shooting, then he has no prominent future in the NHL. Laine is not fast and no one in the league regards him as a tough guy. One workout would give the Devils all the info needed for them to see if Laine can help the team or not.
How do the Devils project for next season?
The New Jersey Devils project as a bounce-back playoff threat for the 2026 NHL season under new GM Sunny Mehta, relying on a healthy core led by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Mehta also revamped the goaltending depth, and the team has hopes on young pieces like Luke Hughes.
The team added veteran depth like Evan Rodrigues and signed forward Anthony Mantha to a two-year deal. Still, the Devils have some doubters. They need to find ways to score consistently and they could be dangerous.
