Toggle sidebar

LW Patrik Laine - Tappara, Liiga (2016 Draft) V

  • Thread starter Thread starter JA
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I can't wait to see Patrik and Auston go head to head at the WHC.

Laine finally turned 18, and is continuing to evolve into even a better player that he showed when he practically played the entire season as a 17 year old.

He has the hockey IQ, a presence to his game, that would not surprise me he will impress at the WHC. Can he wrestle #1 away from Matthews. I don't know. But he can make the decision an even harder one than it is right now.

He has the potential to be the best winger of his generation. He is a terrific prospect to watch and follow.

Whoever draft him, has one heck of a player on their hands. IMO the best player in this draft barring what Matthews does at the WHC.
 
Gabranth said:
There is no way Leafs will skip a chance on getting franchise center. I don't think WHC is going to help Laine, no matter how good he plays.

It will be interesting to see Laine with Jets since it's the same team that drafted Selanne back in the day.

Also: https://twitter.com/kevin_engstrom/status/726591559932719104?lang=en
Click to expand...

No, it was Arizona.
Actually the team you're talking about already drafted an European skater named Patrik and turned him in a superstar.
Does the name Patrik Stefan ring a bell?
 
The Winter Soldier said:
I'm excited for Winnipeg also. If Laine is passed over at #1. I have been pretty vocal here on how well you guys have drafted and added talent since Hillier came aboard.

To have a winner like Laine join Ehlers, Connor, Scheifele is just super exciting for the Jets. This kid just has an aura to him and he may be just the catalyst to turn the Jets into winners very soon.
Click to expand...

Laine and Ehlers both have the flare and dynamic personality that a lot of top scorers have. They'd be a very exciting duo. Add Wheeler, Connor, Scheifele and Little and that's a very diverse top 6 with lots of size, tremendous speed, and top end talent. Scheifele and Little are also very good defensively, bringing some balance.
 
I think winnipeg as a team suits this guy better than Toronto, thus it's better for laine to be #2. Which does not make him any worse or better than he is.

Draft number is just estimation of potential talent of the prospect, not much more. There's always super talents who arent even drafted but still manage to blow our worlds, like Panarin as last example.
 
chauron said:
I think winnipeg as a team suits this guy better than Toronto, thus it's better for laine to be #2. Which does not make him any worse or better than he is.

Draft number is just estimation of potential talent of the prospect, not much more. There's always super talents who arent even drafted but still manage to blow our worlds, like Panarin as last example.
Click to expand...

No no no no.. Philly. Philly is the perfect fit for Laine, he even wears orange already! :p

Lottery is one part of equation, anything can still happen. Arizona for example might see Matthews as a great way of putting bums on seats -> profitable, stable franchise, ergo throw the kitchen sink in to see if they can trade up.
 
QnebO said:
Is there a chance that he lost motivation to WHC now? I mean he knows he basically is a leaf or a jet. If he wants to be a jet, does he want to show anymore? What is the most logical place for him, where he should want more, leafs or jets? I'm too tired to figure that out now. :D
Click to expand...

I think Laine is going to WHC to win gold as his first and foremost goal. He's a guy who wants to win so bad. I'd be really disappointed if he wasn't super motivated just because he'd be calculating his draft preferences. Winning seems to be the thing for him, be it at the WHC or the coming draft.

That said, I would personally prefer him go to the Jets. But if it's Toronto, then at least he will be making Finnish hockey history (again).
 
firstemperor said:
The thought is great but Selanne was truly amazing. Dominated in 2 eras of hockey, pre-lockout, post-lockout rule changes. Also dominated extremely LATE in his career and had amazing longevity to boot. Probably one of the more underrated greats of our generation.

If he had been on a Canadian team later in his career and/or played when social media started buzzing more, he'd be 10X more popular.
Click to expand...

I remember when T.O media was pushing that Potvin was the real Rookie of the year.
 
Jerkini said:
I guess it depends how Matthews does as well, but if Laine is a contributing and integral member of the Finnish team and they win gold, at some point you have to give it to him. Not many players win literally everything they can win in a single year.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure many people have seen the US WHC roster yet....It's not pretty and not competitive at all. Matthews, a player not even in the NHL is expected to center the top line. Matthews and Larkin are going to be the only star forwards on the team. Awful showing for Hockey USA, it's like they don't even care.
 
Really wanted Laine on the Oilers, but I think he'll be great for the Jets.

I'll be a fan of the kid, he's going to be a great player. Congrats Jets.
 
Eternal Leaf said:
:laugh:

Best part of the lottery (after the Leafs winning).

His post-game interviews are going to be fantastic if he's this casual.
Click to expand...

Well, at least he has been quite casual so far. Now the worry here is somebody's going to teach him to be more boring..
 


Good flo in this montage. Too short though. Lots of snipes and blasts but not even close to all of them from this season. This kids got a laser-action sniper rifle.
 
Bruce Granville said:
No, it was Arizona.
Actually the team you're talking about already drafted an European skater named Patrik and turned him in a superstar.
Does the name Patrik Stefan ring a bell?
Click to expand...

We can only hope that Laine turns out like the mighty Stefan. :sarcasm:

I get what you mean Coyotes are the old Jets, and Jets now actually are the old Thrashers.... but Jets are Jets!
 
Big buzz and talk about Laine playing in top 6 for Team Finland with Jussi Jokinen and Barkov. I think he should play with Granlund on PP IMO. Granlund at right half wall in international sized rink is money in the bank. Setting those one timers.
 
thomast said:
Big buzz and talk about Laine playing in top 6 for Team Finland with Jussi Jokinen and Barkov. I think he should play with Granlund on PP IMO. Granlund at right half wall in international sized rink is money in the bank. Setting those one timers.
Click to expand...

It's going to be interesting to see how those PP combinations turn out.

Our 1st and 2nd line are going to be getting close to equal amount of ice time.

Laine - Barkov - Jokinen sounds like a good combination to me. Barkov is pretty much fully polished player. He can carry the responsibilities of #1 center and will be there to fix the lapses that Laine still might have. Jokinen is great all-around winger. He can cover the C spot when needed. Overall, Laine should have the best spot in that line.

I'm not sure what kind of combination Nokka wants to run. Maybe something like this:

Laine - Barkov - Granlund - Jokinen as 4 forwards?
 
thomast said:
Big buzz and talk about Laine playing in top 6 for Team Finland with Jussi Jokinen and Barkov. I think he should play with Granlund on PP IMO. Granlund at right half wall in international sized rink is money in the bank. Setting those one timers.
Click to expand...

I love Granlund's playmaking abilities, but I think I'd go with Aho - Laine and Granlund - Pulkkinen combos on the PP because of past chemistry.

Barkov
Laine - Jokinen - Aho
Hietanen

Rantanen/Komarov
Pulkkinen - Koivu - Granlund
Lindell
 
Assuming Laine makes it to #2 this draft, I can see him on the Jets with Ehlers a very skilled and tremendous puck pressure player. My only wish is I want the Jets to develop Connor as a Center.

A Laine, Connors, Ehlers line. On paper, that would look extraordinary if it works as well as it is drawn up.

If the Leafs pick Laine. Marner and Laine would be a natural fit. And perhaps equally as deadly as the Jets trio.

Regardless, I think Laine is going to be a game changer for one of these franchises.

The kid is a winner, and he is also charismatic that he will excite which ever fan base gets him.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom