The Toronto Maple Leafs would be smart to sign Patrik Laine to a professional try-out (PTO), as the 28-year-old still has a lot to prove.
It wasn't that long ago that there was a real debate between Auston Matthews and Laine. The year was 2016 and the Leafs had just won the NHL Draft Lottery. Fans were beeming with optimistim and there was a legitimate debate about whether or not the team should pursue a centreman who had already played a professional season in Switzerland or a winger who looked like the next Alex Ovechkin.
Ovechkin may be a stretch, but in 2016, Laine was a stud. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, the Finland native had a rocket shot and awesome size, so it looked like he'd be a power-forward in the NHL for many years. He scored 36, 44, 30 and 28 goals in his first four years, so he lived up to the second-overall selection, but injuries have unfortuantely halted his career since then.
Bouncing from Winnipeg, Columbus and Montreal, Laine's offensive play hasn't been able to outweight his defensive play lately as he hasn't looked like the player he was from 2017 in quite some time. However, when a player has so much skill like Laine you have to take a chance on him, right?
The Leafs left-wing position is strong with Matthew Knies and the new additon of Gavin McKenna, but that could change if they trade Knies. Laine shouldn't cost more than $1M AAV, so if he can provide even 80 percent of the production of Knies, the team could look at trading their young winger to help the overall team if Laine can be productive.
Laine and Toronto are a perfect fit
That's a big stretch because he hasn't looked like this player in some time, but either way he's worth giving a shot to in training camp.
Even if the skill isn't quite there, if Laine is able to transition his game and become a player that is okay with playing that third-line checking style, then he can really make a comeback in the NHL. He can still score 20 goals in his sleep, but if he commits defensively, his size could make him an unbelievable third-liner and someone who can help on the second-unit power-play which is super important.
His health and dedication will be a big factor on if he can do this, but he has a chance to really revamp his career and doesn't have to jump into a top-six role in Toronto which is also ideal.
The Leafs are a veteran team who should welcome Laine's skillset, so this seems like a perfect fit for him to get back on his feet and try to revitalize his NHL career.
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