Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition

[Hannibal]

He’s a terrible hockey player beside his shot. Ouffff

 

[BullLund]

Laine is so unlike what the team is building in terms of style. He holds back the 2nd line, 5 V 5 and is too expensive to be a PP specialist lower in the lineup. My prediction is that Hughes kept the last retention spot instead of dealing it for a draft pick at the deadline for a reason. Laine at 50% retained to a rebuilding team needing to get to the cap floor like Chicago or San Jose, or a team with bad pro scouting like Detroit before the draft. Demidov needs a better role model than Laine. Hell sign Brad Marchand, at least he will learn to chirp better than Slaf does.

I don't think Laine is the "role model" of this team anyway, so I wouldn't worry about that.

I do agree though that right now he's not really the piece that fits. Not if this is all he has got left.

The PP contributions will dry up as teams adjust to him. And he hasn't been able to compensate for that with 5on5 play. Before this season, he was a genuine threat on even strength as well. Still had his flaws, but he was scoring regularly. Now, he just pretty much doesn't score 5on5 at all. And that's not all down to linemates, because as I've said, it's not like he was playing with McDavid or MacKinnon in previous times. He made it work with some pretty mediocre support players.

Next season is a make or break moment for his career. I really hope that this is just a conditioning/inactivity/rehabbing issue that doesn't allow him to go all-out on a nightly basis, rather than a permanent problem.

Of course, if he ends up going on one of his patented hot streaks in time for playoffs, all will be forgiven.

 

[zzoo]

He's always going to fumble the puck a lot, especially at the boards, has something to do with the blade of his stick but that's the price you pay for that shot. At least that's what he said himself some years ago, that the shape or angle or whatever he uses makes it difficult controlling pucks especially when it's coming from the boards, but it's what he likes for shooting. So everytime you see him fumble a puck by the wall, think of a goal he scored with that shot. And everytime you see him score a goal, remember he fumbles those pucks a lot

Interesting ! Thank you for sharing it.

Laine is really horrible at handling the puck. In fact, he sucks almost at everything, except his shooting. He's the most uni-dimensional player that I've ever witnessed.
He's the kind of player where the stats look better than the player itself.

In playoffs, Power Play becomes much rarer than the regular season. Moreover the intensity increases too. How will Laine perform in playoffs then ?

 

[Naslund]

He’s a terrible hockey player beside his shot. Ouffff

It will be interesting to see what the organization does with Laine. He can do something very few other players in the league can do, but he is not good 5vs5.

 

[BullLund]

By comparison this is what Laine looked like a couple of years ago (pretty much all 5on5 goals):

 

[BullLund]

Interesting ! Thank you for sharing it.

Laine is really horrible at handling the puck. In fact, he sucks almost at everything, except his shooting. He's the most uni-dimensional player that I've ever witnessed.
He's the kind of player where the stats look better than the player itself.

In playoffs, Power Play becomes much rarer than the regular season. Moreover the intensity increases too. How will Laine perform in playoffs then ?

He has stepped up in big games before. He hustled for Team Finland in the Four Nations tournament. But right now, I don't know. Haven't really seen that type of form from him since.

I do think there's a possibility he's trying to conserve himself for the playoff run. But that might be just cope on my part.

 

[Kratti]

Interesting ! Thank you for sharing it.

Laine is really horrible at handling the puck. In fact, he sucks almost at everything, except his shooting. He's the most uni-dimensional player that I've ever witnessed.
He's the kind of player where the stats look better than the player itself.

In playoffs, Power Play becomes much rarer than the regular season. Moreover the intensity increases too. How will Laine perform in playoffs then ?

Just commenting for the part I highlighted in your text, since this is a pet peeve of mine. Power plays do not actually become rarer in the playoffs. This article from the Athletic is two years old, but should prove the point enough: "Since the 2016 playoffs, there have been 3759 power-play opportunities in 589 playoff games, or 3.2 power plays per game. In the regular season over the same span, there have been just 3.0 power-play opportunities per game."

 

[Junohockeyfan]

He’s a terrible hockey player beside his shot. Ouffff

I see him as a total liability. And i don’t think it’s his fault. He’s barely 50% due to the knee issues. The question is, is this as good as it gets or can he get fixed?

 

[BozoTheClown]

In playoffs, Power Play becomes much rarer than the regular season. Moreover the intensity increases too. How will Laine perform in playoffs then ?

We are about to find that out soon.

 

[Canadienna]

By comparison this is what Laine looked like a couple of years ago (pretty much all 5on5 goals):

I'm still happy with the trade and hopeful that Laine can find some pace again, but this is eye opening. Quite a different player.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I'm still happy with the trade and hopeful that Laine can find some pace again, but this is eye opening. Quite a different player.

I 100% agree. The trade was a good one given how little assets we gave up (and in fact gained a 2nd round pick).

No one could predict he would get injured in preseason with what should have been a season ending injury…

We have a ton of capspace to take him on.

 

[LesCactus]

I really want Laine to play with Demidov. Don’t like the idea of moving him unless it’s a godfather offer.

 

[tooji]

He can’t turn to one side. If he has to change direction on his bad knee it’s like watching a semi-truck try to take a hair pin turn

 

[InsideLaineBOOM]

By comparison this is what Laine looked like a couple of years ago (pretty much all 5on5 goals):

I think I just heard all the Laine-haters pee their pants a little bit after they watched that vid.

 

[BullLund]

I'm still happy with the trade and hopeful that Laine can find some pace again, but this is eye opening. Quite a different player.

It'd be even more eye opening to show all the plays he made to accumulate 30 assists in about 50 games. He was making plays on his own and wasn't fumbling the puck all over the place. Even though the team was tanking, pretty shamelessly I might add, you didn't really have to worry when Laine was on the ice. He generally had the best advanced statistics on the ice.

Right now, it's just a constant struggle. Big fan of the guy, but this season has been a setback from what he was doing in Columbus before the injuries and mental health problems, even though he has done more damage on power play. Then again, at the start off the season, I wasn't sure if there was going to be a season at all for him. Or a career, to be honest. So it's not all bad.

Really eager to see what he can do next season. I have some mild expectations still that he'll turn up in the playoffs, because he has usually been a "big game player", atleast for Team Finland. He can be a streaky kind of guy, hopefully that hot streak will occur at the appropriate time.

 

[ahmedou]

PATRIK LAINE: 20 GOALS DURING THIS 24/25 SEASON

 

[KevSkillz4]

Laine is a keeper. He looks having fun to play with Habs.

 

[Andrei79]

Laine is a keeper. He looks having fun to play with Habs.

He's going to be having a lot more fun when the physical embodiment of Russian gas is going to be playing on his line.

 

[KevSkillz4]

He's going to be having a lot more fun when the physical embodiment of Russian gas is going to be playing on his line.

Oh yeah. I 100% agree. Demidov will help Laine to have a lot more fun at 5v5 haha!!

 

[Frank Drebin]

1997 f350

 

[Mrb1p]

5v5 goal, haters in shambles.

 

[the]

5th GWG of the season. Not sure we win this without Laine.

 

[BullLund]

Another positive thing for Laine in the future is that Hutson seems to find him a lot. And Hutson is only going to get better, which is a scary thought.

Laine just needs to find that open space when Hutson is working his magic.

 

[Shutdown]

By comparison this is what Laine looked like a couple of years ago (pretty much all 5on5 goals):

don't know how you can watch this and not come away with the conclusion that this guy's knee needs some rest. happy he's able to find the net but man, the summer is going to do him some good.

 

[Reimannsum1988]

He's one of the most bizarre players that I've ever seen, honestly, and it's just gobsmacking that he's declined so far from his prime, even considering his injury history, at only 26.