Patrik Laine has been cleared to return from the NHL’s player assistance program. This is a big step in determining Laine’s NHL future. He is currently heading into year three of a four-year deal with an annual average value of $8.7 million. However, they have been rumours circulating on teams that might be interested in his services.
Good news on Patrik Laine: he is cleared to return from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Glad to see he is feeling better.
Laine is still recovering from shoulder surgery. As for his NHL future, teams interested in acquiring him were told they are free to contact Laine.…
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 26, 2024
An Update as Patrik Laine Leaves Program
Laine entered the player assistance program in January of this past season. While the cause for Laine’s admittance is unknown, it is good that Laine is feeling better to the point of being cleared. Furthermore, Laine deserves credit for having the courage to enter the program to seek assistance for whatever was ailing him.
The First Domino Falls
While in the program, Laine requested a trade from the Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets were willing to accommodate. However, a roadblock emerged. Teams interested in Laine wanted to speak with him before proceeding. Under the rules of the player assistance program, no team could speak to Laine until he was cleared. This included the Blue Jackets. This put trade discussions on hold until Laine was cleared. Now that Laine has been cleared, trade talks can resume. Interested teams can speak to Laine.
One Lingering Factor Remains
One further update on Patrik Laine, is he is still dealing with a shoulder injury. The forward fractured his clavicle last December. Laine has a history of injury problems, so a team that trades for him is taking on a risk.
With Risk, There Is Reward
Conversely, a team that trades for Laine would be picking up an excellent scorer. Laine is an offensive-minded player. Furthermore, Laine has scored 30+ goals twice and 40+ once in his career. In four seasons with the Blue Jackets, Laine scored 20+ goals twice.
Trading for Laine does pose a risk for any team. However, there is also the reward of adding a 20-30 goal scorer to the lineup. Whether the reward is worth the risk is left to the discretion of inquiring teams.
Main photo credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
