5 NHL Players Who Won’t Sustain 1st Half Success

5. Patrik Laine, Right Wing, Winnipeg Jets

Patrik Laine’s inclusion on this list partially has to do with his current concussion injury. The Finnish sniper recently returned to the ice in practice, however, there is no saying how long it will be until he’s game ready. Jets forward Laine has been sidelined since January 7 after being hit by Jake McCabe.

Not all players come back from concussions the same. Some return and immediately reach the level of play they were at before the injury, whereas others take weeks to look like themselves. It’s impossible to predict how Laine will perform when he returns, which is reason enough as to why he won’t be as good in the second half of the season.

There’s no debate about Laine’s ability to put the puck in the next, but he has been somewhat of a streaky scorer in his first season. He has produced 4 multi-goal games, totaling 10 goals in those four games. Take those four games out of his season, and suddenly he’s only posted 11 goals and 27 points to date. Now, it’s this is pointless to discuss. Those four games count, and Laine has 21 goals and 37 points this season, which is very impressive for a rookie. What is of note is the streaky nature Laine has exhibited. All players are prone to streaks, specifically rookies. All it takes is a few bad bounces to find yourself in a drought. Without the bounces he got in those four games, Laine’s season looks much different.

Regardless of his second half, Laine’s future as a professional is very bright. He’s likely in line for multiple future Richard Trophies. Despite this, expectations should be tempered for the young phenom when he returns to gameplay.