Free agent sniper Patrik Laine has yet to be picked up by a team, although his latest social media activity suggests that he would like to join the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Patrik Laine was a stud two seasons ago with the Montreal Canadiens, especially on the power play. However, injuries completely wrecked his stint with the team, and this past Summer, his contract expired.
The Canadiens have decided to move on without Laine, and now, the Finnish sniper is looking for a new NHL home. There are a few teams that have been named as potential destinations, including the Toronto Maple Leafs. After all, he is a cheap option that wouldn't require a huge commitment. If he gets back to his 40-goal ways, great. If he doesn't, well, that's okay too.
Over the weekend, Laine seemingly demonstrated his desire to join the Maple Leafs. According to NHL Follow Track on X, Laine followed newly signed Maple Leafs defenseman Nick Blankenburg. If you remember, Blankenburg signed a PTO and impressed so much that he was given a one-year deal.
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While this doesn't guarantee that Laine is going to join the Leafs, what it does do is prove that the forward is, indeed, paying attention to the team's players.
Not to mention, he was once the second overall pick behind Auston Matthews, which is a unique little wrinkle in all of this.
Patrik Laine to sign a new deal soon
Patrik Laine is reportedly going to be signing a new deal very soon. In fact, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period seems to believe it could happen this week.
We should get word on which multiple free agents have finally found new homes over the next few days. The likes of Michael Bunting, Patrik Laine, Carson Soucy (PTO in Columbus), Vladimir Tarasenko and Philipp Kurashev are evaluating options
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With the Leafs looking to finalize their roster later today, there could be some opportunities to add players later in the week when the team has a better sense of what they're going to look like.
The first game goes down on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, and it's going to be a whole lot of fun.
That said, don't expect a Laine decision today. The Maple Leafs have bigger fish to fry before any free agent signings take place.
Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs should sign Patrik Laine?
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