Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition

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Yes I agree that Jenner was much better than Kirby Dash is right now. Dash has a good argument for being the absolute worst center that Laine has played with. In the 22 games since Laine returned (Laine only played 18 of them) Dash has just 1 assist, that's right 1 assist. And Laine still leads all Canadiens players in goals after his return: NHL Stats
The only good center that Laine has played with was Scheifele back in Winnipeg. But because Scheifele and Wheeler didn't want to do all the heavy lifting in order to keep Laine scoring, they went to Maurice and started complaining. And then Laine was stuck with a declining Bryan Little and the rest is history...

The Canadiens are playing the Lighting tonight. This would be a good time to reward Laine after the overtime goal last game by putting him on the first line with Suzuki. That way they could keep him motivated and hopefully keep him scoring. Laine has only scored 2 goals against Tampa in 18 career games so he needs all the help he can get against them.


Your opinion doesn't count. You're just pissed off because Laine took your spot on the powerplay...
I don't know how Laine played with Scheifele but they where like twins with Jenner. The Nyquist - Jenner - Laine was great. Byť I liked his line with Roslovic and Chinakhov too.
 
One thing I don't understand is why people keep talking about how Laine played poorly in the CBJ when he just played the best hockey of his career for us, had excellent stats at 5v5, including defense, playing without the puck despite the mental issues that were already starting then.
 
He would look so good with a skilled speedy center who can dish him the puck.

I’d consider changing the first line, but it’s working right now and you don’t wanna punish Caufield for his great play.

Hope we acquire someone to play with him and extend
 
He’ll re-sign if he agrees to fit within the Habs’ salary structure, which he’ll likely do if he’s enjoying the game again. Maybe that’s shorter term or lower AAV.

If he wants to be paid like an elite former 2OA pick who sees himself as the team’s best forward … then the Habs will likely move on.

The reality is that’s he’s not on the first line in their depth chart and Caufield is a viable option in his spot on the PP. He’s a luxury.
 
He’ll re-sign if he agrees to fit within the Habs’ salary structure, which he’ll likely do if he’s enjoying the game again. Maybe that’s shorter term or lower AAV.

If he wants to be paid like an elite former 2OA pick who sees himself as the team’s best forward … then the Habs will likely move on.

The reality is that’s he’s not on the first line in their depth chart and Caufield is a viable option in his spot on the PP. He’s a luxury.
Agreed
I want him to resign but if he wants 8.5/10 sadly he won't sign

So PL step him with a 5 year deal at a good contract price
 
One thing I don't understand is why people keep talking about how Laine played poorly in the CBJ when he just played the best hockey of his career for us, had excellent stats at 5v5, including defense, playing without the puck despite the mental issues that were already starting then.

I don't think Laine played poorly at all, apart from his first season, and the last few games at the end (the dude was obviously not there mentally). He would've been incredibly valuable if Columbus's PP scheme worked as well as Montreal's currently does. Unfortunately Columbus was at the bottom of special teams effectiveness, for whatever reason. They seem to be doing fine nowadays.
 
Lane’s skating data is just the latest confirmation that when you’re 6’5 and look like you’re skating slowly, you’re actually going faster than many smaller guys moving their legs really fast. And the guy is just back from a leg injury.
What data are you looking at, Laine is below 50th percentile in all the skating categories tracked by nhl edge except most skating distance in a single game where he hit 65th.
 
One thing I don't understand is why people keep talking about how Laine played poorly in the CBJ when he just played the best hockey of his career for us, had excellent stats at 5v5, including defense, playing without the puck despite the mental issues that were already starting then.
Jesus tap dancing Christ... :facepalm:
Whats not to understand? Laine had the 4 worst goal scoring seasons of his career in Columbus, never scoring more than 26 goals. And if things continue like they have up until now it looks like Laine might surpass 26 goals this season and the 4 Columbus seasons will remain his 4 worst goal scoring seasons out of 9 seasons so far. When it's all said and done Laine's time in Columbus will most likely go down as the true dark age of his career.
 
I don't think Laine played poorly at all, apart from his first season, and the last few games at the end (the dude was obviously not there mentally). He would've been incredibly valuable if Columbus's PP scheme worked as well as Montreal's currently does. Unfortunately Columbus was at the bottom of special teams effectiveness, for whatever reason. They seem to be doing fine nowadays.

CBJ PP goes the way Werenski goes. That's why they never utilized Laine the way that Montreal is doing now. There was no Suzuki-Hutson to play the puck to him to tee up on the left. Werenski runs it and he just didn't feed Laine the way Montreal understands to do. So Laine played a lot on the RD spot in PP because the onetimer option was not preferred.
 
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CBJ PP goes the way Werenski goes. That's why they never utilized Laine the way that Montreal is doing now. There was no Suzuki-Hutson to play the puck to him to tee up on the left. Werenski runs it and he just didn't feed Laine the way Montreal understands to do. So Laine played a lot on the RD spot in PP because the onetimer option was not preferred.

Hutson and Suzuki are pretty awesome at setting up guys, also Caufield is a very dangerous shooting threat himself, so the opposite team can't just crowd Laine without giving up space to another shooter.

The old Columbus PP seemed to be pretty easily disrupted, you just had to take away the lane to Laine, or pressure him enough to make him fumble the puck.

I do also feel like, for whatever reason, his shot didn't look as potent in Columbus as it does now, or back in Winnipeg. He almost became a pass first player.
 
Jesus tap dancing Christ... :facepalm:
Whats not to understand? Laine had the 4 worst goal scoring seasons of his career in Columbus, never scoring more than 26 goals. And if things continue like they have up until now it looks like Laine might surpass 26 goals this season and the 4 Columbus seasons will remain his 4 worst goal scoring seasons out of 9 seasons so far. When it's all said and done Laine's time in Columbus will most likely go down as the true dark age of his career.
Sure but his two most productive seasons by PPG were also in CLB. And even in terms of scoring looking at his goals per game he was actually right up there with several of his Winnipeg seasons.
 
Hutson and Suzuki are pretty awesome at setting up guys, also Caufield is a very dangerous shooting threat himself, so the opposite team can't just crowd Laine without giving up space to another shooter.

Yeah and they also had such threat in Jets with Scheifele in the bumper spot and Buff running the point to start with. After Buff left, the Jets PP wasn't the same either.
 
CBJ PP goes the way Werenski goes. That's why they never utilized Laine the way that Montreal is doing now. There was no Suzuki-Hutson to play the puck to him to tee up on the left. Werenski runs it and he just didn't feed Laine the way Montreal understands to do. So Laine played a lot on the RD spot in PP because the onetimer option was not preferred.
This is exactly true. And this is also the reason why Laine can’t produce that well on 5 on 5 hockey at the moment. He is not in his best condition yet, but the more important thing is that he is not playing with the kind of dynamic and high IQ passers that he gets to play with on Montreal’s PP. Dach definitely isn’t that kind of a player, and Newhook for sure isn’t like that either. Dach likes to hold on to the puck a lot and doesn’t really play the quick give and go plays that for example Suzuki is really great with. Dach seems to be playing a lot better, but I don’t still see him as a good fit with Laine, because of the playing style.

If you have a player like Laine, you should put him with players who know how to pass quickly and accurately and move into open positions quickly. Laine is really great when he gets to play with that kind of players. Some coaches really overthink with the type of players that Laine is. Just get him the quickest passing playmaking center you have and then get to the other wing your best combination of a puck hound with passing skills and you are set with an excellent 5 on 5 line.

In Winnipeg they had for some time a line with Scheifele as the center and Laine and Mathieu Perreault as the wingers. That line was one of the best lines in the league as long as they played together. That was during Laine’s 1st NHL season, and then unfortunately after some weeks the Jets got some injury trouble and Maurice mixed the lines, which lead into Laine being separated from both Scheifele and Perreault, and playing mostly with Little and Ehlers, who neither are the type of players that Laine fits too well with.
 
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