New elite center Patrik Laine has a message for all the top centers in the NHL

[Aurinko]

I certainly never expected him to kiss everybody's ass.

Why not?

 

[Leaf Fans]

Hard to kiss someone's ass when you're glued to your XBox.

I suppose people who want there ass kissed can bring their posterior over to him, but he said he won't start kissing assess though.

 

[MCR74]

If only Babcock got to his phone to finally humble him.

Or his gaming console.

 

[3074326]

Hard to kiss someone's ass when you're glued to your XBox.

How many times are you going to make these stupid ass jokes? Two on one page?

And another right before making this post.

Christ

 

[Hntz]

We are witnessing comedy club level boomer humour here. I hope the center experiment works and Laine finds another gear.

 

[MCR74]

How many times are you going to make these stupid ass jokes? Two on one page?

And another right before making this post.

Christ

I stick to what works.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

How many times are you going to make these stupid ass jokes? Two on one page?

And another right before making this post.

Christ

But if you say something like that about one of his team's players, it's HF boards being HF boards.

The lack of self awareness is amazing.

 

[Curufinwe]

I hope he does well there. Maybe not quite Mario Lemeiux level as Grant McCagg once predicted, but pretty well.

McKeen’s 2016 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings (Apr-2016)

www.mckeenshockey.com

"I can't honestly recall scouting a forward over 6-4 with a skill set as similar to Mario's as Laine's," says McCagg. "The way he creates space when he has the puck, his hands, his release, his shot, his vision...maybe he's not quite at Mario's level...but he's not that far off. He's a tier above Rick Nash at the same age...and as we know both Nash and Mario were first overall picks. I have a hard time thinking anyone should be drafted ahead of him even if I really like Matthews a lot...I see a future 50-goal NHL scorer, maybe a 60-goal guy. I don't see that same upside with Matthews."

 

[Marioesque]

I hope he does well there. Maybe not quite Mario Lemeiux level as Grant McCagg once predicted, but pretty well.

McKeen’s 2016 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings (Apr-2016)

www.mckeenshockey.com

"I can't honestly recall scouting a forward over 6-4 with a skill set as similar to Mario's as Laine's," says McCagg. "The way he creates space when he has the puck, his hands, his release, his shot, his vision...maybe he's not quite at Mario's level...but he's not that far off. He's a tier above Rick Nash at the same age...and as we know both Nash and Mario were first overall picks. I have a hard time thinking anyone should be drafted ahead of him even if I really like Matthews a lot...I see a future 50-goal NHL scorer, maybe a 60-goal guy. I don't see that same upside with Matthews."

Style wise he's always reminded me of Mario the most (hence the username). Very similar strengths and the glide with dekes splitting defenses. Of course not on the same level but it's always made sense to try Laine at C.

 

[golgoXIII]

Laine gets so much hate, it’s weird.

Hopefully he does well at C, first games certainly looked promising.

Ther's 3 subject on hfboard that will always be 100% negativity Laine-Habs and french talking players. Put one of the 3 you will get 100 pages of bashing why ? i don't have any idea

Laine is a hell of a player i'm pretty sure he will do fine at center position.

 

[AZ Caps Fan]

The message should be prove it with your play.

 

[MMANumminen]

The real question is will he beat MacDavid by 20 or 30 points

 

[Marioesque]

More context to the quote, and a longer quote

“I mean, I’m not going to start kissing everybody’s a** or pumping everybody’s tires,” he said. “I know I can compete with those guys and that’s why I want to do this in the first place. I don’t want to be a center just to survive or just to fill a position, because I know inside that there’s so much more for me to give.”

Patrik Laine eager to face NHL's top centers: 'I know I can compete with those guys'

Centering Blue Jackets' top line is a chance for Laine to join NHL's elite pivots: 'I know that inside there’s so much more for me to give.'

www.dispatch.com

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Why is Columbus doing this? They have Jenner, who’s a solid center, and it seemed Laine had some chemistry with Fantilli.

 

[Marioesque]

Why is Columbus doing this? They have Jenner, who’s a solid center, and it seemed Laine had some chemistry with Fantilli.

Jenner is a pretty good 2C and has been stunting as a 1C because the team has lacked a real one. Laine is a real one. So it adds to team depth in a position they were short on. Fantilli helps of course, but he is 18 so immediately starting at 1C might be a big ask. They'll let him start in more shielded minutes and his play will show if he can move up the lineup. Yeah Laine and Fantilli had great chemistry so they might be in the same line at some point. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of line flexibility

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

I stick to what works.

Except it doesn't work. You think it comes across as funny, and it may have been if you were the first one to ever make the joke. However you are like the 1,000,000th person to make the joke, so it comes across as if you have no imagination and that you are 12 years old.
If you do not understand why it hasn't been funny for years, then I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain it to you.

 

[EK392000]

Just let this man shoot the puck. Stop trying to change his game and figure out how to make it work around him.

 

[sadpanda]

Why does he get this much hate? Wtf. Show some personality and get disliked I guess.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Looks good to me eye so far. Generating chances, had an impressive defensive effort to stop an odd man rush.

 

[CherryToke]

Turnover machine

 

[CanadienShark]

I've always been a huge Laine fan. I hope this experiment works.

 

[ViD]

Well, he got a goal, had some good and bad moments tonight, let’s see how he does next

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Well, he got a goal, had some good and bad moments tonight, let’s see how he does next

Really pulling for him. Still want to see him and Aho together in Carolina at some point but not getting my hopes up that it'll actually happen. I've always felt Patrik has been underrated and has had poor teams around him.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Video games

 

[2014nyr]

he probably shoulda just kissed some asses