One of the remaining UFAs on the market is former Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine. The erstwhile second-overall pick from 2016 is an intriguing option for various teams.
And one of those teams just happens to be the Philadelphia Flyers.
According to an August 5 report in the Montreal Gazette, the Flyers are one of the teams to kick the tires on Laine. As Herb Zurowsky notes, Laine could be a sort of consolation prize for Philly after missing out on Leo Carlsson.
All right, well, we’ll just say that there’s a massive difference between Laine and Carlsson. Be that as it may, Zurowsky feels that Laine could be a boon to the Flyers’ power play. But he also highlights that Rick Tocchet would be the reason why this idea just wouldn’t work.
“While the Flyers’ power play could use improvement, it seems unlikely any marriage between Laine and demanding head coach Rick Tocchet would be blissful.”
Indeed, Zurowsky is on the money. Laine has gotten a reputation for being lackadaisical on the backcheck. He offers little to nothing defensively, and his offensive upside is essentially limited to a solid shot.
Since Laine offers no physicality, even using him as a depth, bottom-six forward is pointless. That’s why Tocchet would have virtually no use for Laine beyond lining up outside the face-off circle on the power play, hoping to one-time something.
Laine could be worth Flyers’ while for the right price
The biggest sticking point for the Flyers is likely Laine’s contract demands. The 28-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he played just five games. Laine could have reportedly rejoined the Canadiens in January, but the team ended up sitting him following an October surgery.
If Laine were willing to take a short-term deal, and that’s a big if, he could make sense for Philly. Something like a one-year, incentive-laden deal could make sense for the Flyers. As Zurowsky noted, Laine could sign a deal with something like a $1 million base salary plus bonuses. That’s likely what’s on the table for the former 40-goal scorer. However, his camp is likely pushing for a multi-year deal.
So, let’s see if the Flyers’ interest goes beyond kicking the tires. Laine just doesn’t seem like a good fit for Tocchet. But then again, Laine is looking to prove he still belongs in the NHL. And if the Flyers are willing to give him that chance, Laine might just have to reinvent himself.
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