Player Discussion: Patrik Laine

[Jetfaninflorida]

It's 100% confidence/mental issue. A player who scored 5 goals in a game does not simply lose all his skills suddenly in a months time.

Agree. We need some insight on how they are coaching this kid through his development. He has the shot to be a superstar for the Jets for a decade or more, or a cap sucking loser contract if we don't handle him properly. If it is confidence/mental issue then get him on a line to get him going offensively again for a period of time. Defensively and along the boards he is still a train wreck and needs solid coaching to help him develop that part of his game.

The other thing to remember is that when he scored his 5 goals against the Blues, on four of the goals he had an acre of open ice around him. On the other goal, there was a someone right beside him interestingly impersonating him, by softly throwing a crappy stick check his way that obvously missed. Just like Laine does a dozen times a game.

Teams that know enough to close his time and space shut him down pretty easily right now. We need to play soft defensive teams for him to score 5v5 it seems.

 

[Mbraunm]

At the. Eginning of the season, I was predicting 35-40 goals for him this year in anticipation that teams would adjust to our power play set up. I also felt that Mo would rather leave him dangle in the wind than move him up to spark him this year. Right now, without the previous opportunities on the power play he doesn’t have the acceleration to create any open ice for himself - while Mo certainly isn’t going to try to spark his confidence by moving him up.

For these reasons, he will not get more than 40 goals this year. In fact, until he is able to significantly increase his acceleration nor play with a Scheifele level centre, he will not break 45 goals...ever.

 

[armyjoe]

I don't care if he's training with Roberts, I just want him to do what a normal NHL player does training wise. None of the special Rautala sauce. Just get a list of things to work on from the Jets and follow the training plan of a median top-6 player in the NHL.

It seems that those posters who were raising questions this summer about Rautala's plan might have been right. Certainly those posters who were arguing that skating in the offseason can be detrimental to a player are nowhere to be found.

Yes as we can see how Rautala screwed players like Mikko Rantanen.


Btw guys take a look at the top goal scorers and see how many of them play on the first line.

 

[Naturaledge]

Again, against my better judgement, I feel I need to add (not much) to this thread. I'm directing this post to those posters who have a need to bash Patty. I am tossing out this challenge - go back and research 10 years, heck go back 15, 20 years in the NHL and report back to us of those players who have done more than Laine has while they are still 20 years old. Go ahead, do it. Jeebers. The Jets lucked into a gift. Good Lord, some of you guys sound like you'd prefer to turn PL into a B. Tanev that can score 25 goals. In any event, I'm going to wait for the list of players you come up with.

 

[armyjoe]

Imagine being a young top scorer and having a chance to beat your childhood idol for a rocket just to have your organisation shove a big fat middle finger into your face by forcing you to play with a reggressin 2nd line center you have no chemistry at all while other top scorers are playing on the 1st line with 1st line minutes.

 

[ffh]

Imagine being a young top scorer and having a chance to beat your childhood idol for a rocket just to have your organisation shove a big fat middle finger into your face by forcing you to play with a reggressin 2nd line center you have no chemistry at all while other top scorers are playing on the 1st line with 1st line minutes.

tkachuk plays with such a 2nd liner and yet has about 20 points more with a centre who has less points then little. fake news argument about little. not his fault

 

[Mbraunm]

Quite frankly, it’s come to the point that I actually feel bad for the kid now and He just wish he could get a break.

 

[armyjoe]

tkachuk plays with such a 2nd liner and yet has about 20 points more with a centre who has less points then little. fake news argument about little. not his fault

1. Not a top goal scorer
2. Little is no 1st line center but the lack of chemistry makes it even worse

 

[Positive]

Imagine being a young top scorer and having a chance to beat your childhood idol for a rocket just to have your organisation shove a big fat middle finger into your face by forcing you to play with a reggressin 2nd line center you have no chemistry at all while other top scorers are playing on the 1st line with 1st line minutes.

Yeah, that must be terrible, being saddled with a guy like Bryan Little.

Hate to break it to you, but right now Little is a better overall hockey player than Laine is. Hell Tanev is outshining Laine right now.

 

[jetsforever]

He really needs to get a goal.

 

[bustamente]

Thought he was more engaged tonight, even threw a check or two, got off a couple off mean spirited shots but still shut out.

 

[cbcwpg]

Again, against my better judgement, I feel I need to add (not much) to this thread. I'm directing this post to those posters who have a need to bash Patty. I am tossing out this challenge - go back and research 10 years, heck go back 15, 20 years in the NHL and report back to us of those players who have done more than Laine has while they are still 20 years old. Go ahead, do it. Jeebers. The Jets lucked into a gift. Good Lord, some of you guys sound like you'd prefer to turn PL into a B. Tanev that can score 25 goals. In any event, I'm going to wait for the list of players you come up with.

Goals per season by 20 years old

Dale Hawerchuk (45 - 40)
Brian Bellows ( 35 - 41 )
Steve Yzerman ( 39 - 30 )
Mario Lemieux ( 43 )
Ed Olczyk ( 20 - 29 )
Jimmy Carson ( 37 - 55 )
Jaromir Jagr ( 27 - 32 )
Owen Nolan ( 3 - 42 )
Eric Lindros ( 41 )
Iyla Kovalchuk ( 29 - 38 )
Rick Nash ( 17 - 41 )
Sidney Crosby ( 39 - 36 )
Steven Stamkos ( 23 - 51 )
Matt Duchene ( 24 - 27 )
Jeff Skinner ( 31 - 20 )
Conner McDavid ( 16 - 30 )

Not many, but it happens.​

 

[tntkid]

Tonight was the first time I seen Laine throw a hit all season.

 

[Tommigun]

People bought into a hot streak. It just coincided with a line change, both times.

Disclaimer: Ehlers-Stastny-Laine was actually a good line, but the ridiculous OISH% they started with was unsustainable.

I think Laine’s hot streaks started by the personnel changes. It seems that he plays well every time there is some mixups in the lines, or someone new comes in to play with him. That happened when he started to play with Copp at center, Stastny at center and now when Connor came in to play wing. I think that he’s more focused when things mix up which triggers it. Could be because the season is so long that it’s the spark he needs.

 

[Maukkis]

I think Laine’s hot streaks started by the personnel changes. It seems that he plays well every time there is some mixups in the lines, or someone new comes in to play with him. That happened when he started to play with Copp at center, Stastny at center and now when Connor came in to play wing. I think that he’s more focused when things mix up which triggers it. Could be because the season is so long that it’s the spark he needs.

That's a valid theory, but you have to question why he fizzles out after a couple of games. Laziness?

 

[Tommigun]

That's a valid theory, but you have to question why he fizzles out after a couple of games. Laziness?

No one can be at 100% all the time, even if it was an office job. People focus more to impress new co-workers, when something big is on the line etc. If Laine managed to do that constantly, ie ~20 goal months all the time, he’d become the greatest goal scorer ever in just a few seasons

I also think that Laine’s biggest problem is not his skating, defensive play or such but his inconsistency. The good news is that young players struggle with that the most, and it gets better with age.

82 games season + playoffs with lots of travel is also very physically and mentally demanding. Laine is still adjusting to that schedule which clearly shows, so I think that’s part of it too. I really don’t believe it is laziness at all, but rather that the adjustment in his line mates just gives an extra spark, something that breaks the norm.

 

[Tommigun]

I think Laine would benefit from:

a) A normal off-season with a normal trainer, with lots of skating and working on his defiencies. I have understood that Laine’s training programs have not been customized. Matthews’s program is for example custom made for him.

b) A sports psychologist. His ups and downs are extreme even for a young player.

c) Lineup changes to get him going when in a slump. He looks defeated now and is probably blaming the organization also, it’s only human. If he can’t play with Little atm, move him up or down in the lineup, as is done with other players, to give him that spark. Even a short undeserved stint on the first line could do it, he clearly needs a goal so I think it’s almost bullying to keep him where he is right now and he probably feels the same.

 

[BB88]

Quite frankly, it’s come to the point that I actually feel bad for the kid now and He just wish he could get a break.

I'd agree if he wouldn't have such a big issues with his effort level.

& I certainly agree that the Jets need to have a talk with him after the season relating his offseason training, changes need to be made.

 

[Board Bard]

I'd agree if he wouldn't have such a big issues with his effort level.

& I certainly agree that the Jets need to have a talk with him after the season relating his offseason training, changes need to be made.

He could hang out with Ehlers. Ehlers could show him a ton.

 

[BigZ65]

Imagine being a young top scorer and having a chance to beat your childhood idol for a rocket just to have your organisation shove a big fat middle finger into your face by forcing you to play with a reggressin 2nd line center you have no chemistry at all while other top scorers are playing on the 1st line with 1st line minutes.

The guy literally plays 1:50 of every PP.

Seems ideal. Why would it be a good idea to play him with irresponsible 5 on 5 players? That’s not how offense is generated.

 

[Jet]

Laine has a defence positioning scheme that is completely different that the other 7 wingers on the team? Laine's movements and placements are MORE limited than the other wingers? Every winger has a duty to provide 'back up' to their own end. The whole idea that this Laine-only coaching scheme causes his moments of "coasting" is just plain nuts. He chooses to coast in those moments, he chooses to make a one-handed swing at a puck carrier, he chooses to stand still along the boards and let the fore-checker take the puck (3rd goal against tonight). None of this is Maurice's plan to make Laine less effective or look bad. It doesn't happen with the other wingers

That's EXACTLY the point I was going to make, here. All of our wingers have been through this - and they still find a way to skate hard and be engaged. There is no defensive scheme that does not allow our wingers to be aggressive digging for pucks to get possession.

 

[RudyLLL]

lots of talk about laine benefiting playing with #55. i'm more interested in seeing him with wheeler than anything else.

say what you want about wheeler but the guy can hustle and get the buck to #29.

 

[armyjoe]

Yeah, that must be terrible, being saddled with a guy like Bryan Little.

Hate to break it to you, but right now Little is a better overall hockey player than Laine is. Hell Tanev is outshining Laine right now.

Nice way to miss the point. Just compare him to centers of other top goal scorers

 

[Garbox]

I think Laine would benefit from:

a) A normal off-season with a normal trainer, with lots of skating and working on his defiencies. I have understood that Laine’s training programs have not been customized. Matthews’s program is for example custom made for him.

b) A sports psychologist. His ups and downs are extreme even for a young player.

c) Lineup changes to get him going when in a slump. He looks defeated now and is probably blaming the organization also, it’s only human. If he can’t play with Little atm, move him up or down in the lineup, as is done with other players, to give him that spark. Even a short undeserved stint on the first line could do it, he clearly needs a goal so I think it’s almost bullying to keep him where he is right now and he probably feels the same.

Every one in that group training with Rautala has their own plan and schedule. They also do some things together (play floorball etc.), but otherwise they are focusing on what they need to be developing the most.

 

[rkp]

Yeah, that must be terrible, being saddled with a guy like Bryan Little.

Hate to break it to you, but right now Little is a better overall hockey player than Laine is. Hell Tanev is outshining Laine right now.

My God...little with 25 points(9 goals) is a better player any time than someone with over 20 goals this season and over a 100 goals in 2 1/2 seasons!!!...little has ..what 500 points in 11 seasons which works out to under 50 points a season!..hockey pundits all across the board have said what the jets need is a second line centre at the trade deadline for the second or third year in a row and that is why?