I think adding Voracek will be huge for Laine. Voracek, Laine and Werenski on that top unit should be pretty deadly. Definitely a prove it deal.
We need a good team, but trade Laine for peanuts and help out another team out of the goodness of our hearts?
He's a unique talent that doesn't come along too often.
His QO was pretty much preagreed and written into his 2nd contract effectively as the price of the "option year" that the team can opt to or not opt to take after the two years. The base salary for year 2 was higher for this very purpose.Agreed it's steep but the "earned" part came during his ELC when he hit 40 goals. I'm sure you know but he's not taking less than his QO and neither side is going to commit long term so that leaves us with the high 1 year deal. Certainly wasn't earned off last years performance but he did earn the last contract coming out of his ELC. tough spot with these contract structures for RFAs.
With Laine on the left and Voracek on the right; maybe makes CBJ a more "acceptable" destination for 1st line centers...
With all this stupid talk of the city being a destination or not, I think having an environment to succeed is vastly more important than the city/team itself. Especially if money isn't a issue. Bjorkstrand is a better play driver and having Nyquist or Voracek around should help him too. Top line could very well end up with being a Laine/Nyquist line....It's funny because Bjorkstrand is much better than both. He drives play and scores at a higher 5v5 rate.
But I do think you're right. There's cache with Laine and Voracek. Especially with Laine, even though he often sucks terribly, there are surely a lot of centers that are confident enough to think that they are the one to get him going.
Not always the case. Michael Bunting this year is a rare Group 6 free agent.Still RFA next year. Needs to play 7 seasons to qualify for UFA before age 27.
With a big red Clearance Tag on him.I feel like Columbus should just start shopping him. Feels like a situation where he's just going to take his QO each year and then bounce. I think he's a guy that just wants to hit the market.
With all this stupid talk of the city being a destination or not, I think having an environment to succeed is vastly more important than the city/team itself. Especially if money isn't a issue. Bjorkstrand is a better play driver and having Nyquist or Voracek around should help him too. Top line could very well end up with being a Laine/Nyquist line....
Either way, things should be vastly improved over last years "thrown-together" team.
And all the haters will be in the thread for his next contract, saying Jarmo was stupid for not signing him longterm this time.Love the h8 here. Incoming 45+20 season for him.
No shit he did. He's worth about half that at this point
Yes!n This is the best possible deal for Laine. Will make it easier to get out of Columbus for sure. I was afraid that Columbus was going to try some 3 or 4 year shit deal were they would've wasted Laine's career. Now there's a good chance Laine will be traded during the season, or picked up at the trade deadline to get his ticket out of Columbus. Would love to see my Leafs pick up Laine at the trade deadline and bring him home to play were he always wanted to play!
And complaining how he’s defending sucks and he is a one dimensional player.And all the haters will be in the thread for his next contract, saying Jarmo was stupid for not signing him longterm this time.
Many times you see teams gamble on players past performance too. And if Laine performs well this year he's much more valuable when you trade him if he's signed to a few more years. With Voracek feeding him and if Columbus get their powerplay working there's a good chance Laine could break Rick Nash's single season goal record and if that happens it would be pretty sweet for Columbus to have Laine signed for another 2 years when they trade him next summer...You misunderstood. Columbus wasn't going to try to sign him for more than a one year deal after the way he played last year. If there was any interest in going longer it would have come from Laine.
It's like the typical hf poster are all really bad politician. Hypocrisy, double standards, hidden agendas and all to entertain an elite few; who we don't know.And complaining how he’s defending sucks and he is a one dimensional player.
Laine is a good player who has been constantly surrounded by toxic environments, whether a terrible Winnipeg locker room, or a belligerent Torts. Sure, he needs to work on some things, but the hate this guy gets here isn't warranted.
Laine at this point is looking like the Finnish Yakupov. A very skilled flash in the pan that didn't have his head set straight and couldn't handle the pressure. He's supposed to be developing into a superstar about now, not be thrown around like a lazy, whining hot potato.
This is his year to show he is up to working hard to stay in this league and stop complaining. Work on his flaws instead of complaining no one is setting him up. He thought his shot alone would be enough to stay in the league.
Laine has shown very low levels of sisu for a Finnish player so far.
he’s a one trick pony. But the trick he possesses is incredibly important. He probably has a top 5 shot in the entire league. He’s going to sulk his way thru to FA and sign to play with his boy Barkov. And Zito is going to look like a genius, he’ll be happy and scoring and Barkov and whoever else is on the line will cover for his defensive deficiencies.
I’ve never seen a shitter all around player that’s capable of drop 50 goals on any given year.
Yes,Not always the case. Michael Bunting this year is a rare Group 6 free agent.