Red Wings Reportedly in Talks With Former 40-Goal Scorer From Division Rival

On Wednesday, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that a few teams are interested in free agent winger Patrik Laine, citing the Detroit Red Wings as one of the clubs that has "had talks with the Laine camp." 

The seven-time 20-goal scorer could be an intriguing addition for a Red Wings team looking for more offense. The 28-year-old Finnish winger has been largely derailed by injuries in recent years. He played just five games last season with the Montreal Canadiens and missed 30 games the season before. 

Laine hasn't played a full season since his second NHL campaign in 2018-19 and has missed 274 games over the last seven seasons, which adds up to more than three entire seasons on the sidelines.

After recovering from a core-muscle injury, the former second overall pick in 2016 is back on the ice in Florida and fully healthy, according to his agent, Andy Scott. He is now waiting for the right fit.

There is a case that Detroit could be it as the Red Wings finished last season with a top-12 power play, and adding another lethal shooter like Laine could make the unit even better.

He would also give Detroit another top-six option who could jump into the lineup immediately and make a difference, something the team badly needs as it tries to snap a decade-long playoff drought.

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Laine could skate alongside Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin on the top line, or he could give the middle-six another elite finisher, similar to Alex DeBrincat. Either way, he could provide a much-needed boost to an offense that finished in the bottom 11 of the league last season.

There aren't many better sources of cheap offensive upside, and Laine offers exactly that. Detroit could propose a one-year, incentive-based contract that rewards him for staying on the ice and gives him a chance to turn his NHL career around. If it doesn't work out, the Red Wings could simply move on.

Laine is the kind of low-risk, high-reward player who rarely comes along. With Detroit still working through the Larkin and Simon Edvinsson situations, losing out on him could mean a real difference maker slipping through its fingers.

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