8 NHL Free-Agent Landing Spots for Patrik Laine Amid Rumors

We're nearly a month away from NHL training camps opening up and one of the formerly premiere goal scorers in the league is still without a home. Patrik Laine was once a regular 30-to-40 goal scorer in the league, but after a litany of injuries and mercurial performance, he's now on the outside looking in as a free agent.

A series of injuries held Laine to just five games played with the Montréal Canadiens last season and even though he returned to skating in January with the team, he was never activated the rest of the season. A player with his kind of shot and ability to score on the power play has value but given his recent history of health issues and his career filled with oodles of goals, what he'd want in a contract and what teams would be willing to risk would likely be far apart.

Still, with camp approaching and teams still in need of help filling holes offensively, there would have to be a market for a guy who once scored 44 goals in a season, right? We've read the blogs, sniffed around at the rumors and put together a list of teams who might just come calling for the Finnish sniper.

Philadelphia Flyers

David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Philadelphia was arguably the most aggressive team this offseason given the monster offer sheet they signed Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson to only to see the Ducks match it. They went big and didn't come away with the prize, but they could be more budget conscious and potentially get a win with a lottery ticket in Patrik Laine.

The Flyers are on a solid path under coach Rick Tocchet with Trevor Zegras, Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov leading the way. Philly could use a bit more pop offensively, however, and adding a power play weapon like Laine would certainly help to that end.

However, a lot of what helped Tocchet and the Flyers last season was the youthful exuberance with their lineup and their overall ability to adapt to the game and adjust to new situations game to game. Laine's struggles defensively and his streaky offense might be an awkward fit given they're also going through similar motions with the younger Michkov.

Still, goals are goals and if Tocchet and GM Danny Brière see a way to make it work and do so on the cheap, it's a pairing that might be just wacky enough to work.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images

Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Patrik Laine

Toronto's offseason makeover has been thorough and while they were able to add Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft, most of their other moves this summer addressed team defense at forward and left questions about their offense. Taking a flier on Patrik Laine might be the kind of move that pays off in the end and Herb Zurkowsky of the Montréal Gazette sees the match.

While it's expected that McKenna will have an impact on the Leafs offense right away while joining Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies, finding a little bit extra, even someone to use in a pinch here and there like Laine could be the difference between the Leafs pretending to make a run at the postseason and actually getting back there.

Toronto has forward depth undoubtedly, but as far as depth that can produce offense, that's where they're lacking. New coach Jim Hiller is known for a more defensive style of hockey which might mean Laine is an automatic no-go, but for a guy who can fire it on the power play and provide a spark, adding Laine on an inexpensive deal checks a box or two.

New York Rangers

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Rangers have had a solid offseason adding Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas and Sean Durzi from Utah to help give their offense a lift. Adding Patrik Laine would help them out even more, especially on the power play while adding something New York is forever known for: star power.

Dorofeyev's arrival gives the Rangers a player who's scored 30-plus goals a season since coming over from Russia, but the Rangers need more goal scoring badly after they finished 23rd in the NHL in goals for despite having the league's fifth best power play.

Laine's raw offensive ability would give Rangers fans enough reason to get excited and even though there are strong concerns about his defensive play, after finishing at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division last season, New York needs all the help they can get and for what Laine would cost, the defensive risk would be worth the low cost for the potential offense he could provide.

Minnesota Wild

Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images

The Wild and Patrik Laine have some history in a way. Minnesota attempted to add Laine back in 2024 only to pass on going to the Wild and instead landed with the Canadiens. Time can change opinions and situations and that applies to both Laine and Minnesota GM Bill Guerin. If the Wild circled back for Laine, he's a guy who could give their power play a boost.

Laine's shot and ability to fire the puck from the circle on the man advantage with give Minnesota another weapon and someone to provide a different dynamic after Mats Zuccarello departed in free agency. The Wild do have a new option arriving this season in Russian winger Maxim Shabanov, but if they're seeking a known quantity, Laine is right there.

The Wild are in a battle with Colorado and Dallas atop the Central Division and any little bit can help. If they added Laine, that would give them a unique weapon albeit someone who has his own weaknesses on the defensive side of the puck.

Los Angeles Kings

Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images

Seeing the Kings linked to Patrik Laine (via David Pagnotta) makes for an interesting set up.

The Kings are moving on without Anže Kopitar who retired after last season and while they added Artemi Panarin in a trade last year, they're hoping for Kevin Fiala to return like gangbusters following his gruesome season-ending injury at the Olympics.

On paper, the Kings forward group looks strong although they'd be an injury or two away from stressing out their system. Los Angeles is always in need of more goals and Laine would ideally provide that. The Kings also play strong enough team defense to help cover for the biggest shortcoming in Laine's game. He would be a fascinating addition and fit for the team, but his more one-dimensional game might not jive well with coach Peter Laviolette.

New York Islanders

Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images

After the Islanders saw Anders Lee depart to Utah in free agency, they could stand to add a veteran who can help score goals and Laine fits that description. Stefan Rosner reported of the Isles interest initially when free agency opened, but made it clear the team wasn't all that interested in paying big money to add him.

However, if Laine is still unsigned as training camps open up in mid-September, the possibility of a professional try-out to earn a place on the roster is there, something Rosner shared was the most likely way for the 2016 No. 2 overall pick to land on Long Island.

The Islanders have a load of veterans slotted in for their forward group and given their team dedication to playing strong defense, adding Laine would be quite a different player. That said, if they're in need of a power play sniper and someone who's biggest talent is scoring goals, getting him on a cheap deal following a PTO wouldn't be the worst way to go about it.

Calgary Flames

David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

If there's any team in the NHL that's beyond desperate for more offense, it's the Calgary Flames. They had the league's worst offense last season scoring 2.54 goals per games (208 for the season) and had three players score 20 or more goals. Their leading scorer, Matt Coronato, had 45 points. There's no doubt they could make use of Patrik Laine.

We've touched on Laine's defensive shortcomings throughout this piece and if Calgary can't look beyond that to add a potential goal scoring spark plug to provide any amount of added offense, then we're not sure what to say. It would be understandable if Laine didn't want to play for Calgary, but while he's still a free agent it's hard to be picky, right?

Laine would give the Flames a gunner on the power play and someone who could just flat out provide offense for them, period. There's also the bonus that if Laine goes off, they could trade him at the deadline to a contending team if they're not in the running for the playoffs themselves. Win-win situation, no?

Tampa Bay Lightning

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

One curious team that's been connected to Patrik Laine is the Tampa Bay Lightning. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period mentioned them as a team of interest for Laine when free agency opened on July 1 and while the Bolts were very busy this summer, Laine still remains available. When you consider the depth Tampa Bay has and the forward talent they have overall, adding Laine as a specialist makes a bit of sense.

The Lightning addressed strength, checking and toughness up front this summer adding Ilya Mikheyev and Jeffrey Viel. Those additions make sense for dealing with the likes of Florida, Montréal and Buffalo, but they've lacked an absolute sniper on the power play since Steven Stamkos went to Nashville. Tampa Bay's power play was average last year finishing 17th in the league and their inability to be consistent on it in the postseason (5-for-29) led to a first-round elimination by the Canadiens.

Tampa Bay and coach Jon Cooper would know best how to shelter Laine as well as put him in the best situations for his success. If there was an ideal situation for Laine, it would be with the Lightning. But a crowded roster and a tight but fungible cap situation make getting a fit tricky to pull off.