From The Silky Mitten State: Why we're rooting for Patrik Laine and believe he'll succeed somewhere but don't see him as a fit in Detroit
With reports emerging earlier this week that he and the Blue Jackets will be looking to part ways this summer, Patrik Laine is simply too tantalizing an available talent for an NHL team to ignore. Now 26, it's been a while since he set the league ablaze with a 44 goal season at 19 years old back in 2017-18, but even if his first change of scenery (to Columbus) didn't yield the desired result, he is at the very least still a player worth monitoring.
Oct 12, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Patrik Laine (29) waits for the face-off in the game against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Nationwide Arena
© Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I chatted about the possibility of Laine to the Red Wings, and I also wrote a bit about this subject earlier in the week, and here is a decent synopsis of a longer argument:
Ultimately, that's where the catch comes in from Detroit's perspective. Yes, Laine is talented, and he could provide the Red Wings with the kind of offensive firepower that the draft lottery has long denied them. However, his overall profile does not suit Detroit's current needs.
Last summer, Laine might have been a perfect addition for a Red Wing team looking to score more goals. However, this summer, Detroit wants to solidify itself defensively, and Laine won't help with that objective. Meanwhile, the Red Wings already brought in Alex DeBrincat to serve as a high-scoring right shot winger on the left side.
At the end of the day, I will be rooting for Laine wherever he winds up. He's been a charismatic player since he arrived in the NHL, and he's also an exhilarating player to watch. After his public mental health challenges, I'll be rooting for him to rediscover the scorching form of his early career. With that said, as it stands, I don't see Laine—an all-offense sniper—as a fit to what ails the Red Wings right now, so I don't think he makes sense this summer.
