What Does The Future Hold For Patrik Laine In the NHL, Why Hasn't He Been Signed Yet?

Patrik Laine is still out there and available, yet the sniper doesn’t have a place to call home for the 2026-27 season. As one of several notable names still on the market, Laine might be among the most prominent. A legitimate thought to be a superstar when he entered the NHL, his climb to the top of the mountain didn’t go as expected. 

Laine is eligible to sign a performance-bonus contract with a low base salary, but teams still aren’t biting and aren't eager to find out what he can still bring to an NHL club.

Given his injury history, playing just five games last season for the Montreal Canadiens due to core muscle surgery, his financial investment would be limited, the commitment level would be low, and a team that signs him today could essentially walk away if he doesn’t pan out. Laine would, at the very least, be a tradable asset at the deadline if he comes in and does what he can do, which is score goals. 

As Pierre LeBrun pointed out in a recent column for The Athletic, “You’re talking about $150,000 a month for a seven-time 20-goal scorer.”

It's a mystery as to why he hasn't been scooped up by now. And Laine's agent, Andy Scott, doesn't really have an answer.

“Patrik is healthy, skating every day and feels really good,” Scott told The Athletic. “He’s only 28, has a lot of good hockey ahead of him and remains excited about his next opportunity. He’s focused on staying ready so that when the right situation presents itself, he can step in and contribute right away.” 

On a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman noted that he believes the Calgary Flames have talked about Laine.

LeBrun on TSN's Insider Trading shares that sentiment. Both NHL insiders also believe the Flames would like to get a longer look at their young kids, especially on the power play.

LeBrun added that the Detroit Red Wings have also discussed Laine internally, though it seems quite obvious that everything there appears to be on pause. With Shawn Horcoff running the show as interim GM, he has plenty of business to handle, not least of which are a Dylan Larkin trade and a Simon Edvinsson extension. 

Maybe the Philadelphia Flyers? What about the Los Angeles Kings? Maybe another club that is dealing with injuries or struggling to score goals?

Then again, Vladimir Tarasenko, David Perron, James van Riemsdyk, Adam Henrique, and Jonathan Drouin are still on the market. Many of them don’t have Laine’s injury history, nor do they have the reputation of being one-dimensional NHLers. 

At the end of the day, Laine is very strong in that one dimension. One would think a team would see him as a low-cost risk with higher upside, even if his usage is limited and his effectiveness outside the power play is limited.

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