[News] Sportsnet: Patrik Laine ‘prepared for anything’ with future in Winnipeg uncertain

[getbak]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...peg-uncertain/

https://twitter.com/user/status/1162415769352908804

LAHTI, Finland — Patrik Laine says contract talks with the Winnipeg Jets have been non-existent all summer and he isn’t sure what it means for his future with the team.

As one of several prominent NHL restricted free agents still without a new deal, the sniper is currently entering the late stages of summer training under a cloud of uncertainty. Speaking before the Finnish Alumni All-Star Game about an hour north of Helsinki, Laine told Sportsnet that he’s confident he’ll be playing "somewhere" next season.

He just doesn’t know if that somewhere will be Winnipeg.

"Well you never know. It’s still business, you’ve got to be prepared for anything," Laine said Friday. "But yeah, you never know where you’re going to play next year so I’m just prepared for anything."

[Flashpoint]

Good?

[Heavy Jack]

Hanifin, Brodie, Jankowski, 1st for Laine
Trade Frolik for pick
Sign Tkachuk, Laine, Mangiapane, Priskie, Phaneuf

Gaudreau - Monahan - Laine
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Bennett
Lucic - Backlund - Czarnik
Mangiapane - Ryan - Dube

Giordano - Andersson
Valimaki - Hamonic
Kylington - Priskie
Phaneuf

Rittich
Talbot

Joking before anyone freaks out lol

[bettercallbettman]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Hanifin, Brodie, Jankowski, 1st for Laine
Trade Frolik for pick
Sign Tkachuk, Laine, Mangiapane, Priskie, Phaneuf

Gaudreau - Monahan - Laine
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Bennett
Lucic - Backlund - Czarnik
Mangiapane - Ryan - Dube

Giordano - Andersson
Valimaki - Hamonic
Kylington - Priskie
Phaneuf

Rittich
Talbot

Joking before anyone freaks out lol

Take this garbage to the “hot takes” thread.

[Reggie Dunlop]

I can see Winnipeg sticking to their guns and this being a long hold-out. He's all but declared a trade request. Not a great opening salvo in contract negotiations.

[jg13]

Coming into the league and lighting it up in your first 2 years and following those up with a weak 3rd coming off your entry level contract could end up with problems finding the right contract. I wouldn't be shocked if he is traded like Reggie above mentioned.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by jg13

Coming into the league and lighting it up in your first 2 years and following those up with a weak 3rd coming off your entry level contract could end up with problems finding the right contract. I wouldn't be shocked if he is traded like Reggie above mentioned.

Seriously. Growing up in Tampere vs. earning a living in Winnipeg? Get over yourself. You're getting millions.

[jg13]

It is hard for the Jets to justify paying Laine 8.5+ which is most likely what he's looking for when Scheifele is getting 6.125. Yes Scheifele is a great contract and we all know but these things matter.

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I can see Winnipeg sticking to their guns and this being a long hold-out. He's all but declared a trade request. Not a great opening salvo in contract negotiations.

Sticking to what guns.... according to Laine, there has been no communications coming from the Jets... which would make any one of else go hmmmm if we were in the same situation just like he has seemingly done. So telling a reporter that he has had no contact with the Jets, and that he has no idea what that means and that he's worried, and that is equivalent to requesting a trade. So if we trust Laine's words here - the qualifying offer is the only thing on the table and those are rarely accepted by a player straight up and NEVER for a player in his situation - I would think that his friend Jesse Puljujärvi would be way more likely to accept his qualifying offer over Laine's and he hasn't - but then again, he (Jesse) hates the Oilers and there is no way he returns there.

[Northendzone]

To me he is the riskiest RFA signing. He could be real good like first two years, or not so great like last year.

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by jg13

It is hard for the Jets to justify paying Laine 8.5+ which is most likely what he's looking for when Scheifele is getting 6.125. Yes Scheifele is a great contract and we all know but these things matter.

This problem is seemingly everywhere with this draft class (2015 and 2016) - including with our own Matthew Tkachuk. Should Tkachuk get more than... Gaudreau and Giordano at 6.75 million - remember the Mark cap, and it is seemingly heading higher here... and there is not enough cap space left around the league to spread to all these players - something, somewhere, is going break. Winnipeg, Colorado, and Tampa have enough money to sign their players to what they would want, Calgary and Vancouver are borderline at best and Toronto has no cap space at all.

Rantanen
Marner
Tkachuk
Laine
Connor
Point
Boeser

[dissentowner]

There were rumours after the Aho attempt fell through that the Habs would make him their next target. Would not be surprised to see a trade

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

To me he is the riskiest RFA signing. He could be real good like first two years, or not so great like last year.

Totally agree - what the hell do you sign him to... and to what term?

Same with his former teammate Jesse Puljujärvi.... he has sucked in Edmonton.... but if the Oilers threw him in on the Lucic trade for basically nothing... I would love to sign him to a one or two year value "prove yourself" contract. He want's out of Edmonton and the only way he signs there is for way too much... so basically he's a free agent next year or Edmonton trades his right and at least gets something (maybe a third or forth round pick)... I was hoping that Brad would have negotiated him in for nothing on the Lucic deal... really... what is the loss to Edmonton for that, and forget the conditional third if they do that. (I suspect that's exactly what went down - and Edmonton didn't want to so gave us that highly conditioned third round pick instead - but I also suspect that things have soured on Jesse for Edmonton since that deal). Edmonton has until Christmas to get something for him.... or else his value really drops as he's ineligible to play next season and then his value drops to nothing next July 1 as he enters free agency.

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

There were rumours after the Aho attempt fell through that the Habs would make him their next target. Would not be surprised to see a trade

Really.... and then get Jesse from Edmonton for a third or forth round pick and sign him to a one or two year 1.5 million dollar or less cap hit deal... put them back together and see what magic you can rekindle... it may be worth the risk at this point.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by JackIsBack

Really.... and then get Jesse from Edmonton for a third or forth round pick and sign him to a one or two year 1.5 million dollar or less cap hit deal... put them back together and see what magic you can rekindle... it may be worth the risk at this point.

Put who ‘back together’??

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Put who ‘back together’??

Laine and Puljujärvi

[Azure]

Originally Posted by jg13

It is hard for the Jets to justify paying Laine 8.5+ which is most likely what he's looking for when Scheifele is getting 6.125. Yes Scheifele is a great contract and we all know but these things matter.

The bigger problem is Ehlers at $6 million.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by JackIsBack

Laine and Puljujärvi

They played 7 games together in an international tournament.... I took your comment as though they used to play hockey together when they were successful pre draft. They didn’t.

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

They played 7 games together in an international tournament.... I took your comment as though they used to play hockey together when they were successful pre draft. They didn’t.

I see your point... on games played together... but... that was pre-draft and was the BIGGEST reason IMO for both of them increasing their draft positions. Puljujärvi went 4th overall, and if not for Columbus picking Pierre-Luc Dubois, was slated to go third, right behind Laine and both above Tkachuk largely due to their performance in that tournament - and since the Flames picked 6th and we got Tkachuk because of this, I'm not complaining.

Give me a value and term on a Laine's contract that you would feel comfortable with signing... it's extremely hard and a very uneasy feeling if you were the Jets... you don't want to lose the guy because he could be great... but at the same time, he could go in the other directions, over paying him is certainly a risk. Same with Puljujärvi, although because of the Oilers, he's is not worth so much... but there is certainly potential there. The biggest issue with Puljujärvi in Edmonton was him not doing and going to spots where his teammates wanted him to go (aka: his play without the puck) - could this be a communication issue - and if he had Laine with him... this would no longer be a factor - think about that and the fact that in those 7 games - the two of them combined for 12 goals and 30 points - I'd take that. Remember Edmonton got him very little to no language or translation support - what the hell is Edmonton doing - if the fix is as simple as that... it's certainly an issue up north.

[Mr.Coffee]

I respect and like that he doesn’t give cliche answers but every time I hear or see Laine interviewed he always comes across as a gigantic dbag