RW Patrik Laine - Tappara, Liiga (2016 Draft) III

[thomast]

My previous upload of Laine's 2015-16 Liiga season highlights appears to be trending right now, with about 10,000 views at the moment. There were some plays that I overlooked when I released it, however. I realize that people are using it as a reference for Patrik's season, which I am quite thrilled about; unfortunately, those additional plays are missing in the initial release, and so viewers aren't getting everything in that original video.

As a result, I have just released an extended highlight reel with three additional minutes of footage. I'll be redirecting everyone to this version of the video now, which includes some plays that highlight Patrik's hockey I.Q. and puck handling abilities. Those plays are slotted into the latter half of the reel. My strategy is hopefully to get this video up to the first page of the Laine search results (where the old one currently sits), and then to remove the original release so that people are seeing this one instead.



The new footage is slotted between 7:27 and 10:47 of the video.

I'm not saying he is even close to be Lemieux kind of talent but at times he flashes Lemieux kind of dominance.

 

[Booster*]

Whats with everyone saying hes not Ovi but... or hes no Mario but...

He is 18 but...

He will be a huge NHL star for the next 15 years or so.

Possibly the best.

 

[oStealthKiller*]

Whats with everyone saying hes not Ovi but... or hes no Mario but...

He is 18 but...

He will be a huge NHL star for the next 15 years or so.

Possibly the best.

If he can upgrade his skating, not just make it better, I feel he can be a superstar in this league who may rival mcdavid.

 

[Snowsii]

If he can upgrade his skating, not just make it better, I feel he can be a superstar in this league who may rival mcdavid.

i really expect that to happen.. His last summer, was his first injury free summer, for couple of years.. And he went from bad/below avarage to good skater. So let's just hope for healthy summer

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

This kids a boss. Would be quite a treat if Vancouver somehow lucked into him.

 

[Hansen]

This kids a boss. Would be quite a treat if Vancouver somehow lucked into him.

I would go nuts if we won pick #2

 

[strat1]

Laine is a mystery for me, can he translate his talent to a north american rinks? Every team need players like puljujärvi who are big, strong and fast. Imo laine plays like he doesn't enjoy the game or he doesn't put full effort to game. Puljujärvi puts full effort to game and plays always hard. I don't think laine is never gonna make +50 points but i hope i'm wrong.

 

[kelsier]

Laine is a mystery for me, can he translate his talent to a north american rinks? Every team need players like puljujärvi who are big, strong and fast. Imo laine plays like he doesn't enjoy the game or he doesn't put full effort to game. Puljujärvi puts full effort to game and plays always hard. I don't think laine is never gonna make +50 points but i hope i'm wrong.

What da.... speacheless.

 

[JA]

Laine is a mystery for me, can he translate his talent to a north american rinks? Every team need players like puljujärvi who are big, strong and fast. Imo laine plays like he doesn't enjoy the game or he doesn't put full effort to game. Puljujärvi puts full effort to game and plays always hard. I don't think laine is never gonna make +50 points but i hope i'm wrong.

Is it because his name reminds you of Leino?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=113095283&postcount=227

Patrik's surname reminds me of leino so he is going to be a bust.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=115083921&postcount=644

Here is my top 10.

1. Matthews
2.Puljujärvi
3.Dubois
4.Chychrun
5.Juolevi
6.Nylander
7.Laine
8.Tkachuk
9.Sergachev
10.Mcleod

 

[strat1]

Is it because his name reminds you of Leino?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=113095283&postcount=227

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=115083921&postcount=644

Hah, that was a joke

 

[JA]

Hah, that was a joke

I doubt that there are any issues regarding work ethic with Patrik. There seem to have been some rumors prior to the 2015-16 season, but those have been put to rest this year.

Here's a report from October 2014:

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jrhockey-buzzing-the-net/scouts-marvel-over-u-s--and-finnish-talent-in-2016-nhl-draft-class-054819612.html

Laine is a half of a step behind Puljujarvi on the ice, but concerns surrounding the 6-foot-3, 209-pound forward’s character makes him a bit of a wildcard. He was sent home from the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament for disciplinary reasons and was inconsistent while playing in the Fin 2 League. If he shows growth in his maturity, he could be one of the more enticing European prospects of the 2016 draft.

“Laine has the tools to be the No. 2 (of the group of three Finnish prospects), but he needs to grow up as a person,” says [Goran] Stubb. “He will probably play with Tappara in the FIN league later in the season because he’s a powerful, strong skater with great offensive instincts and skills.”

McKeen's mentioned this, and initially had him at #7 in August 2015.

http://www.mckeenshockey.com/feature-story/youngblood-preliminary-2016-nhl-draft-rankings-2/

7. Patrik Laine, RW (Tappara, Liiga)

The 2016 draft class is trending towards players combining above-average size, power, strength, as well as skill and Patrik Laine meets all of that criteria. The burly winger owns a shoot-first mentality yet remains a viable playmaker with slick puckhandling ability. His skating remains a work in progress and while there appears to be plenty of questions regarding his character, work ethic and defensive commitments, Laine’s package of brute strength, hockey sense and feared shooting abilities earn him top 10 consideration. The Sarnia Sting own his CHL rights after selecting him in the 2015 Import Draft so it’ll be interesting to follow whether they’ll be able to lure him from overseas in future seasons. For now, Laine looks to establish himself as a threat in Finland’s top professional league.

By January, they had him ranked #1 overall on their 2016 NHL Draft Rankings.

http://www.mckeenshockey.com/prospects-blog/mckeens-2016-top-30-nhl-draft-rankings-jan-2016/

McKeen’s top ranked prospect isn’t the “consensus” number one for the 2016 NHL draft, a distinction that has been bestowed upon Auston Matthews for the past year or more, yet Finland’s Patrik Laine has served notice to the scouting world that the decision on who goes first overall will not be an easy one, and that he is in the discussion.

“He’s the first prospect that reminds me of Mario (Lemieux) since Mario,” noted one senior NHL scout who was blown away by Laine’s performance at the WJC over the holidays, where the 6-4 left winger compiled seven goals and six assists in seven games while leading Finland to a Gold Medal victory at home.

“It’s ballsy to have him rated number one, but can’t say I disagree… he could be a home run.”

Laine is six months younger, three inches taller, and has outscored Matthews 29 goals to 19 in international play over the past three years. Up until now, Matthews had been considered the better prospect, but that wasn’t the case at the WJC, where Laine quite simply was the dominant offensive force from tournament start to finish along with linemate and fellow draft prospect Jesse Puljujarvi (ranked third overall).

His size, strength, puck skills, shot and smarts were evident in every game, and as the world juniors went on Laine became more willing to throw his body around as well.

“He competed hard in the big games,” noted one scout. “His point totals slowed down, but his willingness to compete defensively grew as they got closer to winning.”

Laine has had an very good year and seems to have turned things around, enough for him to be the consensus #2 on everyone's lists.

A few posters here have pointed this out.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=112761213&postcount=906

laine bring so much skill, but has character issues.

Had. If you'd be a Finn and you'd seen his interviews or media stuff this season, you'd think the opposite.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=112761299&postcount=907

What character issues?

I'd guess this is a reference to the 2014 Hnlinka incident. He seems to of learned from his mistakes, but he's obviously gonna get grilled heavily over it in interviews and GM's will be very curious of his answers and response.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=112761535&postcount=909

laine bring so much skill, but has character issues.

Don't quote me on this one, but I actually recall Laine saying in an interview with YLE before the WJC that he's gotten professional help with his "issues" after the WJC incident last year.

Had. If you'd be a Finn and you'd seen his interviews or media stuff this season, you'd think the opposite.

This. He does sound very mature all in all.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=112762159&postcount=915

I'd guess this is a reference to the 2014 Hnlinka incident. He seems to of learned from his mistakes, but he's obviously gonna get grilled heavily over it in interviews and GM's will be very curious of his answers and response.

I was guessing that, but anyone who has been around him has said he is completely a different person and he learned from his mistakes,
and you could see that in his interviews that he is grown and a damm great persona for hockey scene

But those same anger issues are still boiling under the surface even if he has had professional help. You gotta think it factors in.

He was something like 15-16y when those happened, and media loved to hype those problems.
Have heard nothing bad since then.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=112766345&postcount=919

laine bring so much skill, but has character issues.

has absolutely great character, it is one of his assets nowadays. way he handled pr/media before WJC final was pure gold.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=112768677&postcount=923

Had. If you'd be a Finn and you'd seen his interviews or media stuff this season, you'd think the opposite.

This. He comes across as a very smart and level-headed kid these days. Professional help can make a huge difference, especially in young people. He messed up, was punished accordingly and fortunately got help.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=112769685&postcount=924

This. He comes across as a very smart and level-headed kid these days. Professional help can make a huge difference, especially in young people. He messed up, was punished accordingly and fortunately got help.

Agreed. Kid seems way more mature than your average 17-year-old, so much so that he's even openly, in an interview, assessed his own personality, his own maturity and improvement as a person. Imo that's an indication of mental maturity to be able to do that at such a young age.

Kids grow up; they mature and learn from experience as well as from strong guidance from others. Patrik has silenced his critics this season.

His work ethic this year has been exemplary; it is evident in the way his game has changed throughout the course of this season. He has worked hard to make major improvements to his game.

http://www.hockeyprospectus.com/prospectus-prospecting-scouting-reports-on-laine-and-puljujarvi/

Summary

Laine is unquestionably one of the best sniper prospects to emerge since the likes of John Tavares and Steven Stamkos. His game has matured a lot even during this season and after a great performance in the WJC he has really picked up his game in Liiga also. His lethal shot makes him a very valuable asset for any team on the power play. Physically, Laine is already close to being NHL ready and will probably make the leap across the pond for next season. He is nothing but a lock to get picked in the top 3 in the upcoming draft.

http://www.mckeenshockey.com/prospects-blog/mckeens-2016-top-30-nhl-draft-rankings-mar-2016/

Matthews is a ‘clear-cut’ No. 1 pick is many circles, however the staff here at McKeen’s feel that the rocket-like development of Patrik Laine this season has muddied the waters.

Laine made a number of new NHL believers playing recently in his international debut with the senior Finnish national team. “He was exceptional with the national team last week. Plays very well with good players,” said one top NHL scout.

Upon watching Laine’s masterful showing at the U20 World Juniors, another head scout suggested that Laine “reminded him of a young Mario.”

Those fortunate enough to have experienced the NHL career of Magnificant Mario Lemieux will no doubt see certain similarities in the style of Laine. His ability to dangle the puck anywhere within his body range, front, back, and side – combined with an innate sense for where the puck can be protected – is a bit eerily reminiscent of Lemieux.

 

[QnebO]

I can confirm Laine has zero, absolutely zero attitude problems today. He is clearly humble guy, but also has alot of self confidence.

 

[strat1]

I can confirm Laine has zero, absolutely zero attitude problems today. He is clearly humble guy, but also has alot of self confidence.

Oh really? Do you know him personally?

 

[strat1]

In my opinion Puljujärvi has better chances to become a star player in nhl than Laine. Laine Is a still bit mystery for me, its really hard to tell how he's gonna make it happen in nhl.

 

[Beukeboom]

[...]

Fans of Puljujarvi/Matthews and/or other objective people have left this thread for one day and reading above he will now equal or be better than McDavid (two guys said this) and is like Lemieux (no he is not reminding me of Lemieux at all to be honest..)..

Will be a fun next season with all this new talent in the league that is for sure!

 

[behemolari]

Laine is a mystery for me, can he translate his talent to a north american rinks? Every team need players like puljujärvi who are big, strong and fast. Imo laine plays like he doesn't enjoy the game or he doesn't put full effort to game. Puljujärvi puts full effort to game and plays always hard. I don't think laine is never gonna make +50 points but i hope i'm wrong.

What the hell?! His best asset is really his gamebreaker mentality. At the WJC he was the guy who always stepped up when needed, not Puljujärvi or anyone else was equally important (except finals it was Rantanen and Kapanen). We have seen same in FEL, he always wants to be that guy who takes a bigger role, usually just is willing to do so more than others, and plays for a win only. I think his mentally is just perfect for a scorer. Puljujärvi has great mentality too.

 

[Mogo]

Dear god over-hype

 

[Phosphophyllite]

Dear god over-hype

What are you talking about? It's quite obvious that Laine will go down as the greatest goal scorer to ever lace 'em up.

 

[Loffer]

What are you talking about? It's quite obvious that Laine will go down as the greatest goal scorer to ever lace 'em up.

And this is not over-hyping; just hyping as need be.

 

[thomast]

[...]

Fans of Puljujarvi/Matthews and/or other objective people have left this thread for one day and reading above he will now equal or be better than McDavid (two guys said this) and is like Lemieux (no he is not reminding me of Lemieux at all to be honest..)..

Will be a fun next season with all this new talent in the league that is for sure!

So what is your problem? You only troll here? All i said he reminds me from Lemieux from some of his plays and also said that i don't mean that he is even close being that calibre of talent. Get your things straight. That is pretty embarrasing to ignore something about posts and claim that people have said he is basically next Lemieux...

 

[Teukka]

His best asset is really his gamebreaker mentality. At the WJC he was the guy who always stepped up when needed, not Puljujärvi or anyone else was equally important (except finals it was Rantanen and Kapanen).

Err, no. That was Laine as well
(The first two goals, both crucial game-tying ones, were all Laine. Even if Pulju and Aho finished the other play.)

 

[Pyromaniac]

I hope he ends up on the Sabres. Watching him on a line with Eichel will be absolutely amazing.

 

[JA]

EuroHockey.com keeps track of Liiga's game schedule and statistics. I found them to be very reliable in tracking the World Legends Hockey League, which is a rather low-profile league relative to Liiga. I am very impressed with the website.

Here is the page for Tappara, which lists the next few upcoming games.

http://www.eurohockey.com/club/141-tappara-tampere.html

Game 1 of the Tappara vs Lukko series begins today at 6:30 PM EET (10:30 AM ET; 8:30 AM PT).

We'll have something to talk about in about a dozen hours from now.

Game 2 is on Saturday; Game 3 is on Tuesday.

 

[kelsier]

[...]

Fans of Puljujarvi/Matthews and/or other objective people have left this thread for one day and reading above he will now equal or be better than McDavid (two guys said this) and is like Lemieux (no he is not reminding me of Lemieux at all to be honest..)..

Will be a fun next season with all this new talent in the league that is for sure!

You really should re-consider taking text out of the context before generating ignorant remarks, unless you for some reason are intent on looking half-wit.



Laine's playoffs begin today, excited!

 

[McFlyingV]

If he can upgrade his skating, not just make it better, I feel he can be a superstar in this league who may rival mcdavid.

I'm incredibly high on Laine, but I just don't see this.

Gonna be a damn good goal scorer though.