Patrik Laine qualified by Columbus; Will he sign the offer?
Following a lackluster performance during the 2020-21 season, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine has a lot to prove to both himself and his team this season.
There has been a lot of turnover in Columbus this season, with head coach John Tortorella's tenure coming to an end, captain Nick Foligno being moved to Toronto at the deadline and defenseman David Savard having just won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. With that turnover comes opportunity - and Laine is in a position to really be able to cash in as a UFA next summer.
Per The Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets have extended Laine a qualifying offer, which, if signed, would pay the Finnish sniper $7.5M next season, walking him straight to unrestricted free agency. Whether that will be with the Jackets or another organization remains to be seen.
Laine claims that he was "miscast" in Columbus, and it's hard to argue with the pure offensive forward who was thrown into a defense-first system and expected to fall in line, but still produce at an elite level.
Laine, in an English translation from a Finnish news outlet, said that he understood the assignment in Columbus, but that the assignment did not allow the player to be himself.
«I understand the need for a tight system, but all players are different,» he said. «I do not even want to be like everyone else. I am who I am and do things my way. Everyone should be given the opportunity to be themselves. Then, of course, you have to play within the team's system. I think it's stupid not to use my potential. But then it's another matter what the coaches think.»
Laine will have an opportunity to rebound under a new coaching regime this season, as former assistant coach Brad Larsen was hired to replace Tortorella earlier this year.
The 23-year-old managed just 24 points in 46 games this season after amassing 63 points in 68 games just one season prior.
Laine is currently deliberating over whether or not to sign his qualifying offer. It is suggested that he may.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Shea Theodore | - | 4 | 4 | |
| Charlie Coyle | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Matthew Knies | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Barrett Hayton | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Mitch Marner | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jared McCann | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Bo Horvat | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Nick Paul | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Beauvillier | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sidney Crosby | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ryan Donato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack Eichel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Kevin Hayes | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Clayton Keller | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Philipp Kurashev | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Adam Larsson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Elias Lindholm | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Capitals | 46 | 31 | 10 | 5 | 67 | |
Jets | 48 | 31 | 14 | 3 | 65 | |
Golden Knights | 47 | 29 | 14 | 4 | 62 | |
Maple Leafs | 48 | 30 | 16 | 2 | 62 | |
Oilers | 46 | 29 | 14 | 3 | 61 | |
Wild | 47 | 28 | 15 | 4 | 60 | |
Stars | 46 | 29 | 16 | 1 | 59 | |
Hurricanes | 47 | 28 | 16 | 3 | 59 | |
Devils | 49 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 58 | |
Panthers | 47 | 27 | 17 | 3 | 57 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||