Patrik Laine is back baby!
First reported by TSN’s Darren Dregerand then later confirmed by the team, the Winnipeg Jets and forward Patrik Laine have come to terms on a new two year contract worth $13.5 million. The deal has a $6.75 AAV and comes with just under a week left before the start of the regular season.
#NHLJets have agreed to terms with forward Patrik Laine on a two-year contract with an average annual value of $6.75 million.
DETAILS
https://t.co/Mkjb25gWMB pic.twitter.com/RO4efGHIkC
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) September 27, 2019
As you’d expect with a two year deal, the yearly breakdown is pretty cut and dry.
Laine breakdown: year 1, $6 M and year 2, $7.5 M
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 27, 2019
That $7.5 million is the number it will take to qualify Laine who will remain a restricted free agent after the contract ends in 2021.
Patrik Laine signs a two-year deal with #NHLJets carrying a $6.75M AAV. He travelled back to Finland today from Switzerland, where he'd been skating with SC Bern, and will soon be en route to Manitoba.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 27, 2019
It’s been a long strange trip with Laine’s negotiation. Everything from him possibly looking at signing an offer sheet to him stating that with a month left before camp he wasn’t even sure if negotiations had begun, to straight up calling out the Jets for not playing him with the best players on the team.
In summer of discontent for the Winnipeg Jets, the Laine saga has been the most contentious of them all.
Laine’s prowess with the puck has never been in any question. Last season he picked up 30 goals and 50 points in 82 games, though he did have an overly prolonged slum that followed a red-hot November where he scored 18 goals. Patrik has reached the 30-goal mark in each of his first three NHL seasons a for a total of 110 over 237 games with the Jets. 44 of those goals were scored on the power-play where his shot and ability with the man advantage have had many fans and media bring up Alex Ovechkin as a comparable.
| Season | Tm | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | EV | PP | SH | GW | EV | PP | SH | S | S% | TSA | ATOI | BLK | HIT | TK | GV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | WPG | 73 | 36 | 28 | 64 | 26 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 204 | 17.6 | 360 | 17:55 | 33 | 80 | 43 | 55 |
| 2017-18 | WPG | 82 | 44 | 26 | 70 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 241 | 18.3 | 466 | 16:29 | 43 | 74 | 29 | 51 |
| 2018-19 | WPG | 82 | 30 | 20 | 50 | 42 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 245 | 12.2 | 470 | 17:14 | 44 | 70 | 28 | 48 |
| Career | 3 yrs | 237 | 110 | 74 | 184 | 92 | 66 | 44 | 0 | 16 | 50 | 24 | 0 | 690 | 15.9 | 1296 | 17:11 | 120 | 224 | 100 | 154 |
This is obviously great news for the Jets who have now taken care of one of the two big name restricted free agents that were unsigned going into training camp. Only forward Kyle Connor remains.
After signing RFA Laine for 2 year $6.75M Cap Hit per @DarrenDreger, the #GoJetsGo have $7.26M Cap Space on our 23 (13F/7D/2G) Projected Roster.
Projected Roster includes Byfuglien ($7.6M); Cap Hit comes off if not reported to team.
RFA: Connorhttps://t.co/Hz0WLQJSuK
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) September 27, 2019
We’ll have more on the signing and the impact his return will have on the Jets in the days to come.
