Columbus Blue Jackets 2023-2024 Season Preview: Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine is a fascinating player. He has been in the NHL for seven seasons and has proven to be one of the better goal scorers in the league. However, he has always left fans and NHL coaches wanting more. Is this the season that Patrik Laine puts it all together and solidifies himself as one of the best players in the NHL?
LW Patrik Laine
6’5”, 206 lbs
2022-2023 stats: 55 GP, 22 G, 30 A, 52 PTS, -12, 16 PIMs
Acquired: Trade with Winnipeg, January 2021
Originally drafted 1st round (#2 overall), 2016 NHL Draft
Contract: $8.7m AAV through 2025-2026
Role: Top six winger
Patrik Laine played most of the 2022-2023 season (he missed some time with injuries to his elbow, triceps, and ankle). In the 55 games that he played, he scored 22 goals and added 30 assists for a total of 52 points. Like in past seasons, Laine has struggled with inconsistency. There are moments in the season where he looks like an unstoppable offensive force. He is confident and scores with ease. Then, there are moments in the season where Laine looks like he isn’t giving a full effort and looks frustrated. Despite Laine’s inconsistent play throughout his career, he is nearly a point-per-game player. If he could find some consistency and bring the effort each night, imagine how lethal he could be offensively.
For the 2023-2024 season, expect Patrik Laine to be a fixture on the wing for either the first or second line. He will see consistent power play time and will be put in all offensive situations. If the CBJ want to make the playoffs, they will need Laine to play at the top of his game all season. However, if Laine reverts to some bad habits, it would not be shocking to see new coach Mike Babcock sit Laine on the bench for extended periods during some games. Consistency is the key for Patrik. Hopefully he can find it this season.
One bold prediction: Patrik Laine will score 40 goals this season. The CBJ have a lot of talented forwards in the top six. Laine will be playing with guys who can get him the puck and who will create offense. If some of the young forwards improve (Marchenko, Johnson, etc.), opposing defenses will have to focus their attention on those players, which could result in favorable matchups for Laine. Furthermore, the CBJ defense should be drastically better and should be able to get the puck out of the defensive zone much more effectively. That should help the offense significantly. Assuming Laine’s health allows him to play a full season, I think Laine has the potential of scoring 40 goals. He did it back in 2017-2018 (44 goals with the Jets).
Three keys to success:
- Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Laine is one of the best shots in the NHL. The puck comes off his stick differently and is difficult for goalies to stop. When Laine is at his best, he is shooting the puck every chance he gets. When he struggles, he usually tries to get too fancy with the puck and makes too many passes. If he wants to find himself on the scoresheet on a nightly basis, he needs to shoot the puck a lot. He has the linemates that can feed him the puck. He just needs to tee-it-up and let that puck fly!
- Don’t get in the doghouse. When the CBJ were coached by John Tortorella, there were nights that Patrik Laine played sparingly. While multiple factors played into the decision, Torts was not always happy with Laine’s effort and performance. Now the CBJ have Mike Babcock behind the bench. While Babcock is not the same coach as Tortorella, there are similarities between their coaching styles. It would be in Laine’s best interest to make a good impression on Babcock early and not get in his doghouse. Otherwise, there may be evenings where Laine plays less than 12 minutes a night. With Laine’s offensive abilities, that is not always an advantageous position for the CBJ.
- Stay Healthy. Over the past few seasons, Laine has dealt with some injuries that has kept him out of roughly 20-25 games per season. To have the best possibility to reach his potential, he needs to play a full season. That will give him and the team the best chance at success.
Patrik Laine is a very good player. Some may argue that he is not a great player yet (yes, there is a difference between good and great). The difference between good and great can be as simple as finding consistency and bring a consistent effort. If Laine wants to make the leap from good to great, he needs to show that he can be one of the best players on the ice each night. He has the potential to be a great player, now he just needs to reach that potential. If he can’t, the CBJ will need to rely on other players to step up offensively.
