Laines problems haven’t been due to on ice pressure, it’s been what’s been happening off ice.
Unlike many others I’d say a team like Montreal is exactly what Laine needs to get back to ”right”. He feeds off that passion as he’s talked about so often, he’d never be succesfull in team like Arizona with no pressure. Which is something many would say he would be.
I get the same impression of him. I get low-key Zlatan vibes from Laine. I do not think he is as loud perhaps, but I do believe he needs pressure and the limelight and that it only works as motivation for him because he seems to have that mentality that he wants to be THE guy and he wants it to matter.
I've always got this feeling from him. He was brilliant his first season in the NHL and didn't mind the pressure, quite the opposite. At the home WJC's 2016 he was THE guy for me. Aho, Rantanen, Pulju, Hintz, Kapanen and others had either skill, mentality and different strengths to their game. But Laine felt like the guy that made me sure that team Finland were better than Canada, Sweden and others.
Not like his showings in the Liiga was any worse for a talent at his age back then either.
I know it's old news but I've always whined about his NHL centers. It can't be that difficult for GM's and coaches to recognize that either you give him a good playmaking center and probably get big success or otherwise... You are just making your franchise, him and the fans a big disfavor.
A lot of answers I got were pointing fingers towards Finnish homerism but that wasn't the case with my thoughts and has never been. I will probably one of the first ones to criticize a Finnish prospect if he's overrated because that will only make him a disfavor in the long run.
Laine is very special, in both a good and bad way. I don't think he's the easiest guy and that he has a big ego. He has made some questionable things during his youth years with Leijonat as well so this is nothing new. I've always seen it in him, he has those eyes. If he's in a good place off the ice I'm quite sure he will perform and make bitter Jets fans and also some Jackets fans cry.
I also hope the Habs can trade for Heinola. He would suit Laine in PP1. Jets are ruining that prospect in a criminal way. No matter how many times he's been injured or not.