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Laine should bolt from WPG and come to VAN

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Laine not going to sign a deal before training camp

 

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Patrik Laine said he does not expect to have a contract with the Winnipeg Jets by the start of training camp and that he is prepared for the possibility of playing elsewhere this season.

"You never know. It's still business, you've got to be prepared for anything," the forward told Sportsnet at the Finnish Alumni All-Star Game in Lahti, Finland, on Friday. "You never know where you are going to play next year, so I am just prepared for anything."

Laine is a restricted free agent after playing his first three NHL seasons with the Jets. He said contract negotiations have not begun.

 

"It's likely that it won't be signed before [training camp]," said the 21-year-old, who also spoke separately to a group of reporters. "It's probably not close. I've heard nothing, so I bet we're not close. I would've heard about it (if a contract were close), but I haven't heard anything yet."

Laine said he is not stressed about the contract situation.

 

"I'm not worrying about that at all," he told Sportsnet. "I know that I have done my job as well as I can over these three years, so I know I am going to play somewhere next year, so that's not something I am thinking about too much. Hopefully get it done in the next couple of months and be ready when the puck drops."

Laine is among a group of high-profile players who remain restricted free agents, including teammate Kyle Connor. The forward said Wednesday he hopes to have a contract with the Jets before the start of training camp.

 

"That's definitely the plan," Connor said. "The player never wants to miss time in training camp. It's tough not getting that preparation and time with teammates in practice."

Other top restricted free agents are forwards Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks), Mitchell Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs), Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning), Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche) and Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary Flames), and defensemen Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia Flyers) and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets).

 

There is a belief that once one of the top-tier players signs a contract, the market for the others will be set and other signings could follow.

"[A contract] would have to happen pretty quickly," Laine said of attending the start of camp. "It happens on its own time, and I'm not in any rush about it."

Laine had 50 points (30 goals, 20 assists) in 82 games last season. It was the fewest goals and points in his three NHL seasons; he scored an NHL career-high 44 goals in 2017-18 and scored 36 during his rookie season of 2016-17.

 

Selected by Winnipeg with the No. 2 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, Laine has 184 points (110 goals, 74 assists) in 237 regular-season games and 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

 

Laine's 110 goals are sixth since he entered the NHL; Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is first with 133.

 

"I didn't score many (goals last season)," Laine said. "Anyone can put skates on and try. It's not easy to score so many and most people can never do it. ... I've [scored] 110 goals in three seasons and there's only few guys ahead of me in that time. I've shown what I can do and what I have wanted to do and more. I'm not feeling insecure."

The Jets have lost key players this offseason, including defensemen Jacob Trouba, who was traded to the New York Rangers for defenseman Neal Pionk on June 17, and Ben Chiarot (Montreal Canadiens) and Tyler Myers (Canucks), who each left as an unrestricted free agent. Forward Kevin Hayes was traded to the Flyers on June 3 after being acquired in a trade with the Rangers on Feb. 25.

 

"A lot of guys have left, important guys," Laine said. "Now there are chances for young guys to take big steps."

 


Laine-Petey-Boeser, anyone? Which would give us Miller-Bo-Ferland on the 2nd and then tons of good stuff for the bottom two lines.

Someone tell GMJB to throw Winnipeg a conditional first rounder or two!

If we could clear up some money from two of the three of Sutter, Eriksson, and Baertschi (through trade or some other creative cap-cutting move), we'd probably be able to afford him.

 

Would you invest in Laine if you were our GM? Why or why not? And if so, how would you go about acquiring him and what assets would you sacrifice to bring him to Vancouver?

 

 

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16 minutes ago, 48MPHSlapShot said:

Dude apparently wants 10 mill. We already have a top line right winger in Boeser with Podkolzin (same position as Laine plays) on the way, and the dude is a headcase with an apparent Fortnite addiction, which I don't think would gel overly well with our Fortnite ban. On top of that he isn't much of a playmaker. Great goal scorer, sure, but with Petey and Brock already adept at scoring, I don't think a pure sniper would be the right fit with them. And one of Laine or Boeser would be playing on their off-wing anyways if we wanted both of them with Petey.

 

Where we really need the help is on the blueline anyways. RW really isn't a concern now with Boeser in the lineup, Miller and Pearson able to play both sides, and Podkolzin on the way.

This, plus if we signed him we really would be in cap hell as some have suggested in other topics (relax, we're not). Also, I wouldn't mind seeing a maximum salary for an RFA coming off their ELC in the next CBA. $10 million is a grotesque figure for someone like Laine. That's more like UFA, proved his worth, in the prime of his career kind of $.

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1 hour ago, Alflives said:

Boeser is a better and more complete player than Laine. 

Egh.... I'm not sure.

 

Neither are complete players, but Laine has a bit more in the physical toolbox than Brock. Both suck pretty bad at coming back on defence though.

Edited by brownky
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2 hours ago, BrockBoester said:

Laine not going to sign a deal before training camp

 


Laine-Petey-Boeser, anyone? Which would give us Miller-Bo-Ferland on the 2nd and then tons of good stuff for the bottom two lines.

Someone tell GMJB to throw Winnipeg a conditional first rounder or two!

If we could clear up some money from two of the three of Sutter, Eriksson, and Baertschi (through trade or some other creative cap-cutting move), we'd probably be able to afford him.

 

Would you invest in Laine if you were our GM? Why or why not? And if so, how would you go about acquiring him and what assets would you sacrifice to bring him to Vancouver?

 

 

I know it's tempting to salivate at the idea of picking up some other team's best player; however, is this the type of player/person we'd want if he's willing to bolt one team to go to another?

 

When things get tough, you KNOW he'll bolt at a better opportunity.

 

Character matters.

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