Laine relegated to the 4th line

[Paperbagofglory]

No thanks.

The Leafs, after a very long time, finally rid itself of the country club mentality that plagued the organization for more than a decade.

Don't you mean decades?

 

[voxel]

You look at Taylor Hall for example, a guy who was expected to be a line driver, a guy who was the go to on offence for some teams. Didn’t work. He’s a good fit in Boston because he doesn’t have to be the man on offence. He fits in nicely to a second line. I see the same thing with Laine. Put him on a deep team on a second line and he should do well. Problem is that he wants first line money and will thin out a team’s depth. He just isn’t good enough. Not a shocker.

Taylor Hall was definitely a line driver. You simply don’t watch hockey. His teams were mostly garbage.

 

[Plural]

Which Finnish team is the favorite to sign him? Looks like he'll be there in a few years.

If he comes back I'd be shocked if it's not Tappara.

That said, I don't think he's coming back.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Let’s not forget that quite recently he was a 40+ lock. He’s no Jeff Skinner...

They have both hit 40 goals once in their careers. Obviously Laine is considerbly younger and still has time to rebound but both players aren't exactly on an upward trajectory.

 

[Fear]

Does Patrik Laine remind me of Mario Lemieux?

 

[Monk]

I'm curious to see what the lines actually are tonight, seeing as these are projections. Would be pretty normal if he gets 5 minutes on the 4th line and then bumps up - and it wouldn't surprise me if they're straight up wrong, either. He's been sick and hasn't been practicing.

 

[BrettHullsToe]

Can't see him playing in the NHL after this season, at least for a year to two. Who's gonna qualify this guy at $7.5 mil to underperform and cause drama wherever he goes?

Columbus is the only team that has to make the $7.5 million qualifying offer decision. If they don't make that offer, he becomes a UFA, and can sign anywhere for whatever contract someone will give him.

He'll for sure have his choice of 1 year prove-it deals.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

4th lainer

Congrats, if there was a medal for posting i would award you all of them.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

Laine is the ultimate "mental" hockey player in the sense that, when things are going good, they are going REALLY good. When they go bad, they go REALLLLLLLY bad.

When he's put in a position to succeed, he can be right up there with the top goal scorers of the league.

When things don't go exactly his way, he becomes frustrated, which makes him play bad, which makes him frustrated, which makes him play worse, which makes him frustrated, which......you know.

95% of me is cheering for him to turn it around and dominate like he can.

There's that evil 5% of me that views this as delicious karma for running away because he didn't get exactly what he wanted.

 

[Sports2]

Which Finnish team is the favorite to sign him? Looks like he'll be there in a few years.

Dällas.

 

[TMLegend]

Columbus is the only team that has to make the $7.5 million qualifying offer decision. If they don't make that offer, he becomes a UFA, and can sign anywhere for whatever contract someone will give him.

He'll for sure have his choice of 1 year prove-it deals.

That's correct. Not sure why that slipped my mind.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

I think most posters and fans who follow the game extremely closely, saw and continue to see Laine as a one trick pony. He’s got a helluva shot. Not the smartest player, not a guy who’s going to give 100% effort every shift or every game, and not a guy who drives a line. You look at Taylor Hall for example, a guy who was expected to be a line driver, a guy who was the go to on offence for some teams. Didn’t work. He’s a good fit in Boston because he doesn’t have to be the man on offence. He fits in nicely to a second line. I see the same thing with Laine. Put him on a deep team on a second line and he should do well. Problem is that he wants first line money and will thin out a team’s depth. He just isn’t good enough. Not a shocker.

Didn't Taylor Hall win the Hart because he dragged the Devils into the playoffs?

I mean....he didn't do anything in Buffalo but that team....there's something wrong with that team.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Dällas Tähdet

Fixed.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I think most posters and fans who follow the game extremely closely, saw and continue to see Laine as a one trick pony. He’s got a helluva shot. Not the smartest player, not a guy who’s going to give 100% effort every shift or every game, and not a guy who drives a line. You look at Taylor Hall for example, a guy who was expected to be a line driver, a guy who was the go to on offence for some teams. Didn’t work. He’s a good fit in Boston because he doesn’t have to be the man on offence. He fits in nicely to a second line. I see the same thing with Laine. Put him on a deep team on a second line and he should do well. Problem is that he wants first line money and will thin out a team’s depth. He just isn’t good enough. Not a shocker.

Phil Kessel is another one. Great shot, excellent on the second or third line and PP, but no way he should ever have been top line, or paid top line money.

 

[Egghead1999]

Puljujarvi for Laine, lets make the swap, Mcdavid needs a finisher on his wing. Laine is on the cusp of greatness. Not his fault his coach is holding him back.

Did you watch mcjesus play? Why do you want 2 guys who are not good at their own end in the same line?

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Did you watch mcjesus play? Why do you want 2 guys who are not good at their own end in the same line?

Are you talking about rookie Mcdavid or current Mcdavid?

Current Mcdavid is above average defensively. I have stats to prove it, but its just too much work.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Columbus is the only team that has to make the $7.5 million qualifying offer decision. If they don't make that offer, he becomes a UFA, and can sign anywhere for whatever contract someone will give him.

He'll for sure have his choice of 1 year prove-it deals.

No doubt. He's young, he's already got a 40G season to his name, and right now he's stuck with a coach that is among the worst fits for his skillset in the league (about the only landing spot I can think of that would be as bad for Laine is NYI). He'll definitely have suitors, and, on the right team, I think the offense will come right back.

 

[X66]

Laine was never going to work out in Columbus with Torts, I wouldn't look into his stats that much this year.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Puljujarvi for Laine, lets make the swap, Mcdavid needs a finisher on his wing. Laine is on the cusp of greatness. Not his fault his coach is holding him back.

No. If we wanted Laine, it would be to play WITH McDavid and Pulujarvi. At 7.5M plus qualifier inflation, I'm not sure that I want him though. We don't have the cap flexibility to gamble on Laine.

 

[P10p]

Phil Kessel is another one. Great shot, excellent on the second or third line and PP, but no way he should ever have been top line, or paid top line money.

What a terrible post.

 

[GoldiFox]

Columbus is the only team that has to make the $7.5 million qualifying offer decision. If they don't make that offer, he becomes a UFA, and can sign anywhere for whatever contract someone will give him.

He'll for sure have his choice of 1 year prove-it deals.

Svechnikov-Aho-Laine

Svech and Aho can do all the work. Laine posts up and scores 40+.

 

[Iapyi]

Whatever the case with Liane is let's not forget that everything is either the fault of Paul Maurice, John Tortorella, or Bryan Little. Nothing, and we mean nothing, is Liane's fault.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I think people gotta stop blaming Torts on this.

This has to suck for Columbus though. They have cap space so can qualify him for 7.5 m.

Or

You let your asset go for free.

As a pens fan I'd be tempted to try to get him for a cheap deal if he doesn't get qualified. Bed have a lot of teams lining up for his potential.

Wonder what team he would go to and how much.

 

[Leonardo87]

Has Laine been that bad or is Torts just being Torts?

 

[sxvnert]

He should tell Torts to send him to the press box, then spend the rest of the year golfing.