Herb Zurkowsky reported the Maple Leafs were linked to Patrik Laine and he makes sense as a low-risk, high-reward option for John Chayka.
Zurkowsky wrote in the Aug. 5 edition of the Montreal Gazette that Laine would make sense as a fit for a bargain-hunting club needing scoring help in the lineup:
Since free agency began on July 1, Laine has been linked to the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and, more recently, the Philadelphia Flyers.
Most of those teams would make sense as destinations for various reasons. Mostly, if a club is seeking offence, the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Laine can deliver.
With limited contract space and facing cap crunch, the Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking to find that final piece to help solidify the lineup and give them one more reliable scorer to complement Auston Matthews and the rest of the stars.
Patrik Laine is still without a contract, and is coming off a season where he spent time on the shelf after core muscle surgery. Only appearing in five games, he recorded one assist in only 12:36 TOI, but has 224 career goals and has proven to be a consistent threat throughout his early career.
Patrik Laine is a much different gamble for the Maple Leafs now
As Toronto looks for scoring help, and Laine looks to continue his NHL career - there may be a mutual fit for both parties as Zurkowsky alluded to.
Not only that, but it would also confirm that Toronto still has interest in Laine after it was reported by Elliotte Friedman that the Maple Leafs debated on adding him at the trade deadline:
They definitely explored moving money. There were discussions about Patrik Laine ending up either in Philadelphia or Toronto, but it obviously didn't work out.
The benefit of bringing in Laine now as opposed to before was the lack of assets being given up. Toronto doesn't need to give away picks or prospects to acquire him, and he comes without any prior commitment like he would have earlier.
Though, even if the Maple Leafs sign him to a deal worth $2M, that still puts the Maple Leafs $4.75Mover the cap and they still need to get cap compliant before the regular seasons starts.
The longer he goes unsigned though, the more there may be a chance Laine prefers to find a place to play over money and it'll be a lot easier for those teams Zurkowsky mentioned to bring in the former second overall pick.
If there's still interest from the Maple Leafs, at least now they have a much easier path to bringing him in whether it be through an NHL contract now, or after a PTO offer.
Auston Matthews doesn't need another star - he needs support
It would also make for an interesting story to have both the first and second overall picks from the 2016 NHL Draft on the same line, but it goes beyond just headlines.
Matthews doesn't need Laine to be the 40-goal scorer he was in Winnipeg, he just needs him to bring that reliable scoring threat he consistently adds being on the ice. He's not as physical as he used to be, but can still use his 6-foot-4 frame to control the pace and win puck battles.
A line consisting of Laine, Matthews, and either Matthew Knies or Gavin McKenna would give Jim Hiller an ability to be flexible. Knies can bring another big scoring threat who adds size to an already sizeable duo, while also being able to use his brute strength to create chances.
If Hiller wanted to maximize the scoring threat of both Matthews and Laine, he could slide McKenna with them in order to give that line a true playmaker in amongst two genuine scoring threats.
But there are some red flags to be aware of. Laine hasn't hit 30 goals since the 2018-19 season, and since the 2020-21 season he's missed 224 games with various injuries and stepping away last season so he's can't de depended on to stay healthy.
He also needs to be protected defensively, and if you're putting him on a line with Matthews that may detract from his ability to score if he needs to constantly help Laine out - and that would be highlighted even more if Laine doesn't score consistently.
There's a real possibility that Laine helps the Maple Leafs lineup, but it has to be at the right price.
Back when the Maple Leafs had interest in Laine he cost $8.7M, which was way too expensive when you balance the pros and cons. Now only a few months later, he's looking for a new deal and may be willing to take a financial hit in order to play and it becomes about a cap and roster problem - not a commitment long-term.
If that's the case, the risk of adding Laine is still present, but the Maple Leafs will certainly feel more comfortable if it doesn't work out - provided it's a low-cost signing.
Do you think the Maple Leafs would benefit from signing Patrik Laine?
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