Bold Predictions: Patrik Laine Finishes Top 5 in Goals

The last time Patrik Laine played a full season, he scored 30 goals and 50 points in what was seen as a down year during the 2018-19 campaign. The next season, he would miss only 3 games, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he was only able to suit up in 68 games and score 28 goals along with 63 points, which would have been pro-rated to about 34 goals in 82 games. Due to injuries, he was never able to hit the 30-goal plateau again. Although in 3 of his last 4 seasons, he was scoring at a pace above 30 goals pro-rated. 

Last season, Laine was arguably the best shooter on the power play in the entire NHL. However, he also had his worst season at 5-on-5 at a pro-rated level after he recovered from a knee injury sustained in the preseason. The reality is he was never able to catch up to the speed of the game at 5-on-5, which caused him to play well below his normal capabilities. 

Now that he is healthy, Laine will look like a much different player at even strength. I fully expect him to come in on a tear to start the year using his newfound chemistry with upcoming rookie sensation Ivan Demidov. Playing with Demidov will allow Laine to get in position for dangerous scoring chances at 5-on-5, much like he did last year on the power-play, as he will finally have a potentially elite playmaker on his line. No offense to Alex Newhook and a not fully healthy Kirby Dach, but they were far from the type of playmaker that allows a goal scorer like Laine to thrive throughout a game, especially when the sniper still hadn’t found his full speed.  

Sure, Laine was never the fastest skater, but he can use his long strides, thanks to his 6’5 frame, to his advantage to break away from opposing defenders. Just the fact that he has had the opportunity to work on his skating throughout the summer with no issues will help him regain the ability to use his long strides to create the separation needed to spring himself on breakaways again. 

If Laine can stay healthy, he could score 20-25 goals at even-strength alongside Demidov and either newcomer Zachary Bolduc (stay tuned for more on him in this series) or Kirby Dach as their centre. Then, on the power-play, he should be able to add another 15-20 goals over a full season, allowing him to finish with around 40-45 goals, which will be top 5 in the NHL next season. He will then proceed to sign a contract for 5 years at $6.5 million per season, taking a bit of a pay cut to stay in Montreal.

Do you see this bold prediction being within reach for Laine, or do you see him falling short of 40 goals yet again?