3 Teams In The Mix To Sign Patrik Laine
The NHL is a very interesting place at the moment, as there's still several free agents who have yet to sign contracts for next season. This list includes Patrik Laine, and after what was a forgettable season last year in Montreal, the former No.2 overall pick is looking to land himself a one-year deal, and find some consistent ice time.
Recently, there's been several reports of where Laine may sign, as he continues to skate in south Florida, training for the upcoming 84-game season. Laine has been connected to the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and Buffalo Sabres.
The Ducks and Kings provide an interesting fit for Laine, who could likely hit the reset button in sunny California, on teams with less media attention, and spots up for grabs within their top nine. The Sabres management team know Laine very well and there's certainly spots up for grabs within their top six, so it's almost shocking to see him still unsigned, especially with a few teams who could use his services.
Daily Faceoff's Tyler Yaremchuk recently commented on Laine's future on Daily Faceoff Live, and had this to say about the forward's future.
I will stay in California with it, but the Los Angeles Kings continue to make a lot of sense to me. Their power play was 28th in the NHL last season, and listen, I’m not making a direct comparison here between Anze Kopitar and Patrick Laine, wildly different hockey players, but you lost a guy in Kopitar, who did still produce a decent amount of offense in his last season. That would also leave, again not the same spot on the power play, but there’s an open spot on that power play. I’m curious if Laine could maybe be a fit there. Over the last three seasons in the NHL, they’re 25th in power play percentage. So, you look at a team that’s been desperate for offense for a really long time. I think Patrick Laing could be a good fit there.
Laine's out for revenge after the Canadiens turned their backs on him. Now, we wait to see when he'll start his next chapter, and more importantly, where.