Former Jets, Blue Jackets and Canadiens sniper Patrik Laine is at a crossroads in his NHL career. What's the best use for the UFA at this point in his career, and what's a realistic contract?
Patrik Laine was once a major difference-maker in the NHL.
When the Winnipeg Jets drafted him second overall in 2016, Laine started his career with three 30-goal seasons, including a 44-goal campaign in his sophomore year.
In the decade that's followed, Laine's effectiveness has ebbed – and the 28-year-old is still without a new employer despite NHL free agency being open for nearly two weeks. That said, he's still shown promising goal-scoring ability when he's healthy, suggesting he hasn't lost all his value in the immediate future.
Really, it's understandable why teams are hesitant to sign Laine – at least, at the dollar amount he may be looking for. He appeared in only five games with the Montreal Canadiens this past season. And Laine has appeared in 68 games or more in a single season just three times, and that was from 2016 to 2020. Laine's recurring injuries definitely affect what teams are willing to pay him.
We think Laine will be signing a short-term, "show-me" contract this summer with a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. If the price is right and Laine signs for a low-guarantee, high-ceiling, bonus-laden deal with a Cup front-runner, he could provide the type of secondary scoring legitimate contenders always look for.
Because Laine spent most of this past season on the injured reserve, he's eligible to sign a one-year contract with performance bonuses.
So if Laine signs a contract with $1 million or $2 million in guaranteed salary and between $2 million and $4 million in performance bonuses, that could be the best he can hope for at this stage in his NHL career.
With that kind of "prove-it" contract, Laine could have all the motivation needed to once again put up at least 20 goals or more.
In three of the last five seasons, Laine produced at least 20 goals – and that's all in only 52 to 56 games played each year. The other two of those five seasons really don't count, as injuries limited Laine to only 23 games combined in that span.
When he's healthy, Laine can generate a solid amount of offense, usually as a power-play contributor. In 2024-25, when he played 52 games for the Canadiens, 15 of his 20 goals came on the power play, as did 19 of his 34 points.
So you can't waste Laine's goal-scoring skills by inserting him on your third or fourth line and expecting him to put up considerable amounts of offense. You have to give him opportunities on the first or second line and see what Laine has left in the tank.
Laine's injury issues will hang over him until he can demonstrate that his body won't betray him. But it's clear that he can benefit a team when he's healthy. If you're not committing a lot of cap room to Laine, you can rationalize bringing him in.
That said, the opportunity has to fit with where Laine is right now. He's not going to be any use playing on a bottom-feeder team. Even a retooling team probably isn't the right fit for him. He needs to play on a Cup front-runner that's looking for top-six forward help, and if Laine gets that opportunity, he could prove to be a very savvy investment – or a money pit who is close to being out of hockey's top league.
Laine is at a crossroads, and this could be his final opportunity to prove he can be a key cog on a Cup front-runner.
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