If Patrik Laine wants to save his NHL career, he may have no choice but to finally bet on himself.
Laine remains unsigned on Aug. 18, nearly seven weeks after NHL free agency opened, and that is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss as a simple case of patience.
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The former No. 2 overall pick still possesses one of the most dangerous shots in hockey. He has scored 224 goals in 537 career regular-season games, including a 44-goal explosion with the Winnipeg Jets in 2017-18.
But NHL teams aren’t paying for what Laine used to be.
They’re paying for what they believe he can be.
And right now, the league appears increasingly skeptical.
Stefan Rosner, of The Hockey News, reported earlier this summer that the Islanders had conversations with Laine’s camp but weren’t prepared to offer him an NHL contract, with a professional tryout being the most they were willing to consider.
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This is for the same player who signed a four-year, $34.8 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets just a few years ago.
It becomes even more understandable when looking at his recent availability.
Laine played just five games for the Montreal Canadiens last season, recording one assist before undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury. Despite being medically cleared late in the season, he never returned to the lineup.
That continued a troubling pattern.
He played 52 games in 2024-25 and just 18 games the season before that. Over the past three seasons, Laine has appeared in only 75 games. That lack of availability has become impossible for teams to ignore.
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This is where the Colorado Avalanche become interesting.
Colorado needs a top-six winger. There is no mystery surrounding that. The Avalanche need more offensive depth, particularly after another disappointing postseason, and they don’t have the luxury of throwing significant money at every potential solution.
Laine, however, could represent a fascinating exception.
The talent is still there. His release is still elite, and his power-play ability could give Colorado another legitimate scoring threat. At 28 years old, he isn’t some aging veteran hoping to squeeze one final season out of his career.
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But Colorado shouldn’t be interested in Laine because of what he accomplished in Winnipeg. It should be interested only if it believes he can still become that player again.
That’s a significant distinction.
The Avalanche have too much at stake to take a major financial gamble on someone whose biggest question is whether he’ll actually be available. But if Laine is willing to accept that his market has changed, the equation becomes considerably more appealing.
A one-year contract with a modest base salary and performance bonuses could give both sides exactly what they need.
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Colorado would get an opportunity to add an incredibly talented scorer without making a significant long-term commitment, while Laine would get something perhaps even more valuable: an opportunity.
And there could be another factor working in Colorado’s favor: the chance to play alongside some of the best offensive players in hockey.
If Laine were willing to take less money for a season, he wouldn’t exactly be walking into an offensive wasteland.
He’d have the opportunity to play alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, giving him the kind of supporting cast that could make it easier to rediscover his scoring touch. Laine wouldn’t have to carry an offense in Colorado. He’d have elite playmakers around him, dangerous players commanding defensive attention and potentially more opportunities to do what he does best — shoot the puck.
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And if Laine can stay healthy and capitalize on those opportunities, a one-year discount could ultimately become a very profitable decision.
He could sacrifice money now to put himself in position to make significantly more later.
That’s the part Laine may have to accept now.
He doesn’t need to get paid like the player he once was.
He needs to get paid like the player he is capable of becoming.
A short-term deal could ultimately be the bridge between those two realities.
The gamble could make sense for Colorado, but only if Laine is willing to play ball and gamble on himself first.
Who’s going to make the first move?
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