Winnipeg Jets: Patrik Laine’s journey from inconsistent to extraordinary
After a 2018-19 season full of drama, Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine is back to being the superstar the Jets need him to be.
Everyone remembers the headlines talking about the horrendously inconsistent 2018-2019 season of Patrik Laine. Onto the offseason holdout, many fans unsure of if Laine would re-sign with the Winnipeg Jets before the start of training camp. On top of all Laine’s comments about his teammates and ice time, all of this left a lot of Jets fans wondering if Laine was worth all of this noise that seemed to be revolving around him.
After a long stressful wait for many fans, the bridge contract we were waiting for was official. On September 27th, 2019, only six days before the Jets season opener against the New York Rangers, Patrik Laine signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract with an annual value of %6.75 million. This ended Laine’s hold out as he moved back to North America from the team he had been practicing with overseas.
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The 2018-2019 season was the Webster’s dictionary definition of inconsistency. Laine had 50 points last season in 82 games (30 goals, 20 assists). For someone not drafted 2nd overall, this is a really solid third season, although 19 of Laine’s 50 points (18 goals, 1 assist) came in 12 games, all in the month of November. All of this boils down to 38% of Laine’s point production came in 14.6% of the season.
Laine’s problems didn’t just end there. Laine was a defensive liability nearly every time he stepped on the ice. In the 2018-2019 season, Laine was a -24 +/- with 48 giveaways compared to only 28 takeaways, the lowest number of takeaways in his career.
With lots of noise in the offseason, Laine knew that changes were going to have to happen. It’s at this time that we can assume that he realized being a pure goal scorer is not a very viable option in the NHL.
This season, Laine is on pace for a personal best season. In 31 games played, he has 30 points. (10 goals, 21 assists). He is also playing a more rounded game. Laine is currently a +8 +/- and 18 takeaways compared to 25 giveaways. He has shifted away from being a pure goal scorer this season to being a great all-around player. 24 of Laine’s points have been scored 5v5 while only 2 of his 10 goals have been scored on the powerplay.
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Patrik Laine has overall put a lot of improvement in his game over the offseason. Although it’s hard to ever meet all of the demands that fans have for players, I think that Laine is in a good place in his 4th season. With some work on power play production, Laine has finally turned into the player that all Jets fans can be happy with, a player with a deadly shot, ability to make plays, and no longer a defensive liability.