Exploring Where Patrik Laine Could Fit into the Toronto Maple Leafs Lineup
Patrik Laine's highly publicised trade request opens up a unique opportunity for the Toronto Maple Leafs to add an elite-level player at a discount price. However, the big question remains: Where does Laine fit into the Maple Leafs lineup? Exploring the answer to that question reveals some tantalising possibilities.
The Toronto Maple Leafs should, at the very least, kick the tires on disgruntled Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Patrik Laine.
It’s not every day that players with elite-level skills become available, especially at a bargain-discount price. And that being the case, the Toronto Maple Leafs should be extremely interested in his services.
I’ve written about Laine and the Leafs before. I have always believed that Laine could be a good fit in Toronto under the right circumstances.
As my colleague James Tanner discussed in this piece, the Leafs have the assets and the pieces to make a deal work.
Nevertheless, Tanner points out that it may take a first-round pick to get the deal done. I don’t think it would even take that much to get Laine on board in Toronto. In my estimation, a middle-round pick and Nick Robertson could move the needle for Columbus.
If the Leafs have to pay more, it would likely only be to retain his salary, as they may have a bit of troublie fitting the full amount of his nearly $9 million cap-hit into their plans.
Now, assuming the deal gets done, the bit question remains: Where does Patrik Laine fit into the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup?
Let’s explore that question in further detail.
The Top Line
Laine could slot in nicely on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. It would be interesting to have both Laine and Matthews playing together as Matthews was selected. first and Laine second in the 2016 draft.
This arrangement could work as Laine is a left winger. Marner plays on the right side, making this line about as deadly as it can get.
But there’s one catch I see with this line: There would be three amazingly talented forwards. However, neither of the three is a puck-chasing hound that Matthew Knies can be, or formerly Zach Hyman and Michael Bunting.
This flaw makes a Laine-Matthews-Marner top line an alternative that I would not regularly deploy, especially in the playoffs. In fact, a Laine-Matthews-Marner line would be great for specific points in a game or when facing less physical opponents.
Overall, I think this line could provide Laine with an opportunity to regain his goal-scoring tough. Laine would be playing with an all-world centre for the first time in his career. Matthews, being the Selke candidate that he is, can take the defensive pressure off Laine, allowing him to use his speed to make plays happen.
As for Marner, he could easily top 100 assists with two natural-born goal scorers like Matthews and Laine. It’s a tantalising proposition to see this trio in action. However, Craig Berube will need to find creative ways to get around the opposition’s counterattack, especially against physical teams like the Boston Bruins or Florida Panthers.
The Second Line
If I were Berube, my first thought would be to slot Laine into the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
It’s a frightening thought to imagine dealing with Nylander and Laine on the same line. The two speedy wingers could skate circles around opposing defencemen. Opposing clubs would need two fast blueliners to contain Nylander or Laine.
Otherwise, opposing defencemen would need to camp out in front of the net and hope every shot hits them. Plus, opposing teams would not have enough top defensive players to deploy against the Leafs top two lines. In short, other teams would need to pick their poison. They would either accept getting beat by the Matthews or Tavares lines.
Now, there is a downside to this approach. Tavares may not be fast enough to keep up with Nylander and Laine. He may struggle to stay in the play, potentially wasting opportunities to set up either player. Then again, Tavares may get cut out completely on plays as Nylander and Laine control the puck and drive the forecheck.
There’s also the concern of little defence with this line. Neither Laine nor Nylander are known as defensive forwards. As such, the burden of defensive responsibilities will fall on Tavares. If that’s the case, it remains to be seen how well Tavares can handle the dual role of being a third defenceman/forward.
Despite the potential downside, there’s one powerful benefit that I believe having Laine on the second could do. Having Laine with Tavares allows Berube to load up the top line. As such, a Laine-Nylander-Tavares line could keep opposing coaches up at night. This setup would be possible thanks to the offence Laine provides on the second line.
Final Verdict
The Toronto Maple Leafs cannot trade for Laine only to stick him in the bottom six. While playing him on the third line might work for a short while, deploying Laine in the bottom six would be a waste. As such, Laine needs to play with either Matthews or Tavares. Perhaps a Max Domi-Knies-Laine line could be an interesting idea to play around with.
Nevertheless, the Leafs need to maximise their punch by putting Laine in a spot to score goals. That spot could include making him the point man on the second power play unit.
Let’s think about that for a second. The Leafs have never had a solid second power play unit in a long time. Getting Laine on board automatically allows the Leafs to capitalise on more power play opportunities, especially when the top unit fails to connect.
If I were Craig Berube, I would match Laine with Tavares. An experienced centre like Tavares can give Laine the confidence he needs to play up to his strengths. That prospect would be a huge departure from the situation he faced in Columbus where he lacked a true top centre, while being asked to shoulder a significant share of the burden.
Plus, the prospect of unleashing a “super” line with Nylander, Matthews, and Marner could become a regular occurrence thanks to the scoring Laine provides.
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Let’s not forget that Laine is still 26. So, it’s fair to assume he’s still got plenty of gas in the tank. If that’s the case, Laine could be part of the missing pieces the Toronto Maple Leafs need to make it over the proverbial playoff hump.