Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition

[VT]

I’ve been following Laine since the WJC 2016 and he’s his own worst critic. People who say otherwise either make shit up or don’t know better. That interview was 100% aimed at his own performance and nothing else.

The only way for him to succeed is to put him with an elite center that can feed him the puck. He played his best hockey with Scheifele and Wheeler. In a situation like that he’ll score 50 goals when healthy. Put him with a player like Dach and the current player is what you get. Scratching him or limiting his minutes will only have the opposite effect and he’ll struggle even more.

With all that being said, I can see him playing through the 25-26 season but then I believe he’ll retire. He looks miserable both on and off the ice. He’s clearly not finding any joy in the game and most likely still struggling with his mental health.

His best hovkey was in Columbus in 2021/22 and especially 2022/23 when his centers were Jenner and Roslovic. Especially Jenner. Very good in 5v5, in defense, play without the puck. And if not concussion and psychical problems, he would not be worse in 2023/24 season.

One of the few positive performances out of Finland today. So far.

Putting aside the "smart" pass on the PP, Patrik is playing very well, he is one of the best players. But they have terrible defense, he can't get the puck out quickly, he has problems under pressure.

 

[26Mats]

Play him with Evans and Armia for a while.

Or play Slaf in the Heineman role with Evsns and Armia. Then play Laine with Cole and Nick.

 

[the]

I thought he had a solid game. Except for that blunder on the PP everything else was fine. He stood out and gave a decent effort.

However, he needs to figure out a way to shoot more or create those opportunities for himself. His lack of grade A chances are killing him. He won't score with only 1 shot per game.

 

[HuGort]

...Laine is who he is...all we can hope is that he picks it up a bit next year when he's fully healthy and scores enough to nab us something half decent at next year's Deadline...

What? You mean we not locking Laine up to big long term contract?

 

[Marioesque]

I thought he had a solid game. Except for that blunder on the PP everything else was fine. He stood out and gave a decent effort.

Finnish tabloid always gives their ratings in lions or sheep, only two players got 1 lion in yesterdays game and Laine was one of them. Rest of the players got varying numbers of sheep.

 

[NotCommitted]

Finnish tabloid always gives their ratings in lions or sheep, only two players got 1 lion in yesterdays game and Laine was one of them. Rest of the players got varying numbers of sheep.

I think giving him a lion was for effort and "relative to expectations" thing, no way anyone else in the top-6 is judged positive playing the game he did. Which under the circumstances I guess is fair enough, but I wouldn't take it to mean he had particularly good game. He was clearly trying hard and didn't suck seemed the bar he had to clear for that one.

I was left feeling he just hasn't played enough hockey for the past year, I don't think it's the physical stuff really holding him back. I mean might be it's not optimal and that would just highlight any struggles he has with his game.

 

[Skip Bayless]

My man is cooked.

But no reason he shouldn't take at least 5 one Ts each PP.

 

[Marioesque]

I think giving him a lion was for effort and "relative to expectations" thing, no way anyone else in the top-6 is judged positive playing the game he did. Which under the circumstances I guess is fair enough, but I wouldn't take it to mean he had particularly good game. He was clearly trying hard and didn't suck seemed the bar he had to clear for that one.

I was left feeling he just hasn't played enough hockey for the past year, I don't think it's the physical stuff really holding him back. I mean might be it's not optimal and that would just highlight any struggles he has with his game.

He cleared a bar that Rantanen, Barkov, Lehkonen, Aho and Hintz didn't. I agree it wasn't a great game by anyone but Laine belonged.

 

[NotCommitted]

He cleared a bar that Rantanen, Barkov, Lehkonen, Aho and Hintz didn't. I agree it wasn't a great game by anyone but Laine belonged.

Yeah not saying he didn't belong and there were certainly forwards that had a worse game than him, but if you watched the game, do you think he was Finland's best forward or among their two best players, like one could surmise from those sheep and lion?

I guess this is getting off topic here I'm just saying that I don't think Laine was very good or stuck out positively out of a top6, they were all forcing plays and seemed to be overthinking it, including Laine, which lead to that horrible turnover on the PP with his cute little shot fake no one seemed to be buying. He really should've taken that shot, just try to create a rebound or get it to the net for a tip or something. To his credit, he was one of the guys who probably showed most heart and it was fun to see the building seemed to appreciate him. Still seems to fire up for games with more at stake, would be fun to see him in the playoffs again.

To bring this more on topic for this forum, it'll be interesting to see how he looks out there in the remaining games and whether that has any effect on his usage in the Habs. I don't think playing him in the 4th line for 11 minutes a game is the way to go if you want to get anything usable out of him, but then again maybe the only other option is the 1st line and I'm not entirely convinced he's playing at 1st line level. Though my understanding is Slaf has not exactly been on fire either and the team is losing games so might be worth a shot.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

The thing with Laine is he's talking about his mental health and saying the right things he's talking about the low ice time and how he needs to be better and saying the right things , the right attitude seems there and he says the right things.



But at the end of the day the only thing he needs to do is move his feet , he's talking about production this and production that , production is the least of his worries.....MOVE YOUR FEET AND SKATE bro....actions speak so much louder than words...

 

[Skip Bayless]

The thing with Laine is he's talking about his mental health and saying the right things he's talking about the low ice time and how he needs to be better and saying the right things , the right attitude seems there and he says the right things.



But at the end of the day the only thing he needs to do is move his feet , he's talking about production this and production that , production is the least of his worries.....MOVE YOUR FEET AND SKATE bro....actions speak so much louder than words...

He can barely generate power on that left leg bro.

Imagine you are doing the dirty deed with your girl and she tells you "Go deeper", but you're as deep as you can. That's Laine right now.

The main issue is that he's stubborn with the puck and it worsens the issue. He's a turnover machine out there.

 

[LaineBOOM]

Laine with 2 pretty assists on period 1 vs the Swedes.

Multiple great individual rushes in the 2nd period. Active stick in all areas all game. Very very nice playing by Patty.

 

[Paddy17]

I've noticed this more and more, but Laine's shot seems to be totally off since his "upper-body" injury in Columbus.

 

[LaineBOOM]

Laine with 2 pretty assists on period 1 vs the Swedes.

Multiple great individual rushes in the 2nd period. Active stick in all areas all game. Very very nice playing by Patty.

Laine really hates the Swedes with passion, he was ready to go man

 

[the]

Laine really hates the Swedes with passion, he was ready to go man
View attachment 977595

That guy is lucky the ref wasn't far away or else Laine would have beat the shit out of him.

 

[LaineBOOM]

I've noticed this more and more, but Laine's shot seems to be totally off since his "upper-body" injury in Columbus.

Idk man, I dont see any causality there, even a correlation is a stretch, considering that he scored 4 goals in the next 8 games after that, and mostly with his trademark shot:

He has been off in all ways during the last 8 games though. No points, not getting many good looks either, forcing a shot or two each game on the PP rather than waiting for a better opportunity etc. Lack of effort and speed and everything really.

Lets hope that he can play on this type of 4 nations level when is back in the Habs uniform.

 

[26Mats]

Idk man, I dont see any causality there, even a correlation is a stretch, considering that he scored 4 goals in the next 8 games after that, and mostly with his trademark shot:
View attachment 977617

He has been off in all ways during the last 8 games though. No points, not getting many good looks either, forcing a shot or two each game on the PP rather than waiting for a better opportunity etc. Lack of effort and speed and everything really.

Lets hope that he can play on this type of 4 nations level when is back in the Habs uniform.

"All he does is shoot on the power play"

I've seen Laine make many of the types of passes he made today to create scoring chances that go to waste.

I'd like to see him with Nick and Cole, just to see how they play together. If it doesn't work, try something else. Slaf in the Heineman role with Evans and Armia.

 

[Marioesque]

Exac

"All he does is shoot on the power play"

I've seen Laine make many of the types of passes he made today to create scoring chances that go to waste.

I'd like to see him with Nick and Cole, just to see how they play together. If it doesn't work, try something else. Slaf in the Heineman role with Evans and Armia.

Exactly that. Surround him with players who can finish his plays or create chances for him. He created a 2 on 1 like that in 1st game too but Aho messed it up.

 

[the]

Not enough shots on net. He needs to shoot more. But overall I think he's Team Finland best player.

He's tied for the most points and he's the only player who's a positive with +/- 1. Everyone else is a negative or 0.

 

[CHwest]

Not enough shots on net. He needs to shoot more. But overall I think he's Team Finland best player.

He's tied for the most points and he's the only player who's a positive with +/- 1. Everyone else is a negative or 0.

Maybe the coaches need to pursue the swede angle, point out every team that has a swede, tell him they are mocking him and the Finns.

 

[Marioesque]

Maybe the coaches need to pursue the swede angle, point out every team that has a swede, tell him they are mocking him and the Finns.

Or maybe they could just stop pretending he's a 4th liner and lean into his ability more.

 

[Habssince89]

At this point playing him with Suzuki should be given a shot

 

[Halberdier]

Maybe the coaches need to pursue the swede angle, point out every team that has a swede, tell him they are mocking him and the Finns.

This! And tell him Heineman isn't really a Swede

TBH, Finns vs. Svedes rivalry is actually mostly very lighthearted but fun, also for Patty.

 

[LaineBOOM]

This! And tell him Heineman isn't really a Swede

TBH, Finns vs. Svedes rivalry is actually mostly very lighthearted but fun, also for Patty.

Patty has the most fun with it too

 

[VT]

It seems to me that Laine is still having health problems.
Btw, Finland's coach said in December that he was gated because of the PP.