Patrik Laine II: The Roof Still is Still On (for now)

[CBJWerenski8]

As Monday’s NHL trade deadline looms, it’s hard to imagine the Blue Jackets trading Laine just 2 1/2 months after they acquired him in that blockbuster deal. But there are NHL executives who don’t think it’s out of the question, either.

Laine has played with six centers in his time with the Blue Jackets, most recently with Domi. The Blue Jackets’ lack of proven, two-way centers who can distribute the puck is a major issue, certainly, not just for Laine but for the entire club’s offensive approach.

But it’s a cop-out to say that the Blue Jackets’ less-than-stellar talent is the sole reason for Laine’s struggles. It may keep Laine from fully thriving, sure, but it’s not keeping him from playing with energy and urgency on a nightly basis.

That’s what the NHL’s best players do consistently, but Laine’s passion to be the best player on the ice has been spotty, at best, with Columbus.

Perhaps Laine’s game will improve under a new coach next season. John Tortorella is in his final year with the Blue Jackets, and there’s a chance he’ll be moving on after this season ends early next month.

Truth be told, Tortorella could be exactly what Laine needs right now, but Laine has seemed resistant to Tortorella’s attempts to make him something he’s never been: a power forward, a 200-foot player.

Kekalainen has to weigh all of this and decide where this is likely headed.

Sure, the Blue Jackets will be able to re-sign Laine this summer because he’s a restricted free agent with limited rights. It might only be a one-year deal that sets up Laine to be an RFA again in 2022. At that point, will he want to sign long-term in Columbus?

Perhaps this is the bigger question: how long is it going to take to surround Laine with the talent necessary to truly thrive? That means trading for a No. 1 center (not easy) or drafting one (no guarantees).

 

[Bobby Orr's Knees]

Florida sure could use him.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Porty’s been reading HF again.

 

[majormajor]

a power forward, a 200-foot player

This is funny stuff to me.

We'd first have to make Laine into a player that wins 50% of his battles and makes the simple pass more and turns the puck over much less. The ambitions of turning him into a new type of player are out of step with the situation where he's failing on the basics. Power forward in particular is out of touch with reality, Laine would have to greatly re-make his physique to become a power forward.

 

[MissADD]

If they trade Laine, they may as well blow it up. No one at all will want to come here with 0 offensive players to play with. I don't consider Cam and bjorkstrand draws when it comes to recruiting other players. And with no offense, It's safe to assume Seth and Z will want out. Then that kills the defense.

 

[BullLund]

If they trade Laine, they may as well blow it up. No one at all will want to come here with 0 offensive players to play with. I don't consider Cam and bjorkstrand draws when it comes to recruiting other players. And with no offense, It's safe to assume Seth and Z will want out. Then that kills the defense.

Not like Laine is providing a whole lot of offense as he now is.

 

[KCbus]

I wouldn't be opposed to trading him.

He's a one-trick pony whose one trick isn't firing. He's lazy, turnover prone and a defensive liability. You don't sign a guy like that to a big contract (which is what it's going to take to keep him) unless he's executing that one really good thing so well that it's a no-brainer, and he clearly isn't. Laine's the guy who you sign to a huge contract because you're afraid of losing him one year, and then regret the deal for seven years.

 

[majormajor]

Not like Laine is providing a whole lot of offense as he now is.

He's providing less than almost all the other forwards.

But I do think he would be a draw for some players. A good center with a good ego will look at the Jackets wingers, especially Laine, and say, "there is a big hole in that lineup, just big enough for me", "I'm the guy to get him 50 goals".

 

[BullLund]

He's providing less than almost all the other forwards.

But I do think he would be a draw for some players. A good center with a good ego will look at the Jackets wingers, especially Laine, and say, "there is a big hole in that lineup, just big enough for me", "I'm the guy to get him 50 goals".

From what I understand, not that many people have really looked forward to playing with him, atleast on the Jets.

Scheifele seemed to greatly prefer Wheeler to Laine as a wing-man.

The only guys that I can recall enjoying playing with him were other Euro players, like Ehlers and of course other Finns. But American/Canadian players don't seem to mesh too well with him, either on a personality basis or just the contrast in styles.

Being a set-up man to a finisher tends to be an underheralded role, that fewer and fewer players look forward to.

It would be great actually if he could find chemistry with a player who doesn't care about being a superstar. It worked well with Stastny when he was with Jets, because of Statsny's high hockey IQ and ability to adapt to other people's styles.

 

[VT]

The Bolts do have some magic going. Greatly helped by drafting and developing one and only Andrei Vasilevskiy. It doesn't hurt that Tampa is a great place to live (and has lower taxes). South Tampa and Davis Island are just beautiful. The weather is fantastic. Blue sky, beautiful beaches and Lightning flags all over town - nobody ever wants to leave. Can Columbus ever be like Tampa and get that sort of player loyalty? I don't know. But yes, I agree with your point overall. I don't like the Toronto way. Never mind the fact that they nothing to show for all the money they've spent.

I thought a system of course.

 

[VT]

From what I understand, not that many people have really looked forward to playing with him, atleast on the Jets.

Scheifele seemed to greatly prefer Wheeler to Laine as a wing-man.

The only guys that I can recall enjoying playing with him were other Euro players, like Ehlers and of course other Finns. But American/Canadian players don't seem to mesh too well with him, either on a personality basis or just the contrast in styles.

Being a set-up man to a finisher tends to be an underheralded role, that fewer and fewer players look forward to.

It would be great actually if he could find chemistry with a player who doesn't care about being a superstar. It worked well with Stastny when he was with Jets, because of Statsny's high hockey IQ and ability to adapt to other people's styles.

Can he carry the puck? He can. Can he move his legs? He can. Can he feed his partner excelent? He can. Can he use his body? He can. Can he be strong on the puck? He can. He demonstrated all and he was very strong in the offensive in this case. Remember Domi's words after the second game with Tampa out. So let's stop word ... Laine needs somebody, Laine needs something etc.
Only let Torts won't change lines... I already need a computer to remember who played with whom.

Domi's words:

Patty was an unbelievable part of what we had going on tonight,” Domi said. “He was very physical. He was strong on the puck, he didn’t give up on the puck. When he’s going like that he’s a tough man to stop and certainly a lot of fun to play with.

Could this work? Maybe Blue Jackets' slumping Patrik Laine and Max Domi only needed each other

 

[majormajor]

The Bolts do have some magic going. Greatly helped by drafting and developing one and only Andrei Vasilevskiy. It doesn't hurt that Tampa is a great place to live (and has lower taxes). South Tampa and Davis Island are just beautiful. The weather is fantastic. Blue sky, beautiful beaches and Lightning flags all over town - nobody ever wants to leave. Can Columbus ever be like Tampa and get that sort of player loyalty? I don't know. But yes, I agree with your point overall. I don't like the Toronto way. Never mind the fact that they nothing to show for all the money they've spent.

Will Columbus get that lucky with player loyalty? Probably not.

But let's remember that it is a bit of a new thing. Jonathan Drouin demanded out of Tampa. Martin St. Louis demanded out of Tampa. The sun helps but it's the consistent winning in the last few years that has created this atmosphere.

 

[VT]

O.K. but for whom? Center? Laine is RFA, does someone think he would sign with Bufallo if we would want Eichel? Florida? Who for him if Florida has only Barkov. I even doubt we would take a center if it would be trade with three teams.
IMHO if trade so after the season but I hope not.

 

[VT]

This is funny stuff to me.

We'd first have to make Laine into a player that wins 50% of his battles and makes the simple pass more and turns the puck over much less. The ambitions of turning him into a new type of player are out of step with the situation where he's failing on the basics. Power forward in particular is out of touch with reality, Laine would have to greatly re-make his physique to become a power forward.

Funny is Laine can do it he demonstrated it. He started to move his legs more use his body. And I hope this goal help to improve him his confidence. But I agree he must work his conditions more, he should be more strenght minimum.

 

[gearmex]

Will Columbus get that lucky with player loyalty? Probably not.

But let's remember that it is a bit of a new thing. Jonathan Drouin demanded out of Tampa. Martin St. Louis demanded out of Tampa. The sun helps but it's the consistent winning in the last few years that has created this atmosphere.

anyone have idea why they wanted away? for Martin is Torts i believe

 

[majormajor]

anyone have idea why they wanted away? for Martin is Torts i believe

Marty loved Torts. Won the Hart Trophy with him and gives him a lot of credit for helping to turn his career around.



Funny enough, Marty first requested a trade in 2009, and it was specifically to the Rangers. The Rangers new head coach? John Tortorella.

Of course he also wanted to be in Connecticut where his family preferred living and he did eventually get traded to the Rangers many years later. The flashpoint in that eventual trade was that Yzerman had left Marty off of the Team Canada roster and Marty took it very personally.

Doesn't this sound like stuff that happens to the Blue Jackets? Player preferring to live in Connecticut for some weird reason (Panarin)? Player having a grudge with the FO (Bobrovsky)?

Drouin was just a young player not getting enough ice time, more akin to Roslovic's situation.

 

[VT]

Marty loved Torts. Won the Hart Trophy with him and gives him a lot of credit for helping to turn his career around.



Funny enough, Marty first requested a trade in 2009, and it was specifically to the Rangers. The Rangers new head coach? John Tortorella.

Of course he also wanted to be in Connecticut where his family preferred living and he did eventually get traded to the Rangers many years later. The flashpoint in that eventual trade was that Yzerman had left Marty off of the Team Canada roster and Marty took it very personally.

Doesn't this sound like stuff that happens to the Blue Jackets? Player preferring to live in Connecticut for some weird reason (Panarin)? Player having a grudge with the FO (Bobrovsky)?

Drouin was just a young player not getting enough ice time, more akin to Roslovic's situation.

Still Václav Prospal very likes Torts he said he's happy to count Torts his family friend. I put interview with him (Torts' thread), translate.google is enough good.

 

[LoneFunyan]

I have more optimism about Ros and Tex than you but I see where you’re coming from and maybe shouldn’t have tied the discussion directly to their names. I can see though how it could be seen as disappointing return for PLD and I was trying to think of a known commodity at center to help out the roster.

Which is really the point of the thought progression, to see if you can fix the roster by trading Laine. And then you could consider you came out of the PLD mess stronger.

anwyay...

Ah, got it. I was fixated on those two names.

Re-thinking under those parameters, I'm less certain of my answer but I still stick with Laine into next season. We've seen him look good with Domi and Robinson I think it was? Maybe that was a fluke, maybe not. But let's see more of it.

I don't know - I have a bad feeling I've reverted back to the "sure, whatever" mentality of the dark early days.

 

[AppalachianFinn13]

Funny is Laine can do it he demonstrated it. He started to move his legs more use his body. And I hope this goal help to improve him his confidence. But I agree he must work his conditions more, he should be more strenght minimum.

Most of all he should work on his skating technique. He's just not a very athletic guy unfortunately , but fixing skating technique and lower body strength is relatively easy

 

[Halberdier]

Confidence matters. Patrik Laine started his long slump with a game where he hit 2 times the pipes. If those were in, I am not sure any slump would have followed.

Now two very beautiful goals for Laine, both with 100% confidence.

What's also different in his first goal in this game and his previous one: he got a pass, can you believe it? He got a puck to shoot. A really, really rare feat when you look at previous ~20-30 games.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

He played great. Play like that more please.

Everyone will talk about the second goal, as they should, but as he said its not like opportunities like that will be present in every game. However, I loved that he moved his feet and created the opportunity himself. He didn't even consider passing, he just took it himself. He was engaged all game and felt like he wanted the puck. He was breaking the puck in himself sometimes and setting up shop in the OZ on the cycle.

As Torts said, when he's engaged he's a damn good player. Stay engaged even when its not going well.

Some things did bother me in his post game comments though. He made it a point to mention how he's still not sure if he's confident, and he brought up (almost unprompted) the fact that he's still a good hockey player and can create offense for himself. This either means he's paying attention to the outside perception of him, or the coaches are relaying the same criticism from outside to him personally (or both). He seemed irritated by some of the questions he was asked (which, honestly, fair because some of them were really bad). I just wish he showed a bit more happiness, and I get that we lost and its not really his style to show emotion, but idk emotion sometimes is good.

 

[Garbox]

He played great. Play like that more please.

Everyone will talk about the second goal, as they should, but as he said its not like opportunities like that will be present in every game. However, I loved that he moved his feet and created the opportunity himself. He didn't even consider passing, he just took it himself. He was engaged all game and felt like he wanted the puck. He was breaking the puck in himself sometimes and setting up shop in the OZ on the cycle.

As Torts said, when he's engaged he's a damn good player. Stay engaged even when its not going well.

Some things did bother me in his post game comments though. He made it a point to mention how he's still not sure if he's confident, and he brought up (almost unprompted) the fact that he's still a good hockey player and can create offense for himself. This either means he's paying attention to the outside perception of him, or the coaches are relaying the same criticism from outside to him personally (or both). He seemed irritated by some of the questions he was asked (which, honestly, fair because some of them were really bad). I just wish he showed a bit more happiness, and I get that we lost and its not really his style to show emotion, but idk emotion sometimes is good.

To the bolded, that's nothing new. He speaks his mind and he makes the biggest pressures in his own head. That's one mental aspect he should get fixed in a sense that when a slump comes it wouldn't be so long. But age will help with that too.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Some things did bother me in his post game comments though. He made it a point to mention how he's still not sure if he's confident, and he brought up (almost unprompted) the fact that he's still a good hockey player and can create offense for himself. This either means he's paying attention to the outside perception of him, or the coaches are relaying the same criticism from outside to him personally (or both). He seemed irritated by some of the questions he was asked (which, honestly, fair because some of them were really bad). I just wish he showed a bit more happiness, and I get that we lost and its not really his style to show emotion, but idk emotion sometimes is good.

Completely agree.

While it's sort of expected not to show a lot of happiness after a loss during interviews, it would be nice to see a little bit of smile right after his highlight reel goal.

Between Laine, Stenlund, and Z, it looks like the CBJ should order a truckload of Prozac. Jones and Robinson could pop a few for good measure. These guys act like Team Depression even when good stuff happens.

 

[horner]

Laine could be so great but he shows up when he wants to .
It is really to bad .
He dosnt need a center to make him great with that size and speed he can do it all himself.

 

[VT]

Laine could be so great but he shows up when he wants to .
It is really to bad .
He dosnt need a center to make him great with that size and speed he can do it all himself.

Domi is an ideal center, he`s skill, spped with big hockey vision/IQ. And they have chemistry.Scheifelle is better than Stastny but Laine had chemistry with Stastny.

All his porblems are moving his legs if he does it, no problem.

Btw, I though he`ll play "beach" ice-hockey. I was pleasantly suprised, he played excelent not only in offense but he very good in defense too.

Completely agree.

While it's sort of expected not to show a lot of happiness after a loss during interviews, it would be nice to see a little bit of smile right after his highlight reel goal.

Between Laine, Stenlund, and Z, it looks like the CBJ should order a truckload of Prozac. Jones and Robinson could pop a few for good measure. These guys act like Team Depression even when good stuff happens.

I can`t believe you can agree with similar words about Laine...