The Colorado Avalanche may be looking for help, but one analyst says Patrik Laine is the wrong place to shop.
With August here and the free-agent market nearly picked clean, the options have thinned out fast. Colorado could still find some depth, and Laine’s name naturally sits in that bucket. But Ryan O'Hara, who covers Colorado, Utah and Calgary for THN, thinks the Avalanche should keep their distance.
The biggest issue is simple: Laine hasn’t been reliable. He has not played a full season, or anything close to it, since 2019, and that kind of availability track record is hard to overlook. Last season only made the concern louder, with Laine appearing in just five games in 2025-26.
Money only sharpens the problem. Laine probably wouldn’t command much on the open market, and some teams are even considering a professional tryout. But Colorado is already squeezed tight against the cap, with just $429,159 available.
There’s also another contract looming. Cale Makar will need a new deal next year, and that will take even more flexibility away from the Avalanche.
That leaves Colorado in a spot where even a cheap gamble can carry real consequences. For a team with so little room to maneuver, O'Hara’s warning is that a player with Laine’s availability issues may simply be too risky.
Laine’s next contract is expected to be short as well, likely no longer than one year. The second-overall pick in the 2016 draft has been forced into a position where he’ll take what he can get.
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