The New York Islanders have reportedly drawn a hard line on Patrik Laine, and it’s a telling one.
According to Stefen Rosner, the Islanders did speak with Laine’s camp when free agency opened, but they are not prepared to offer anything beyond a professional tryout. Mathieu Darche and his organization, Rosner says, have settled on that approach while waiting to see whether Laine would accept the invite to camp.
“From what I've been told, the Islanders did have conversations with Patrik Laine's camp when free agency opened. I don't believe the Islanders were willing, or are willing, to offer Laine anything more than a [PTO]”.
A PTO, of course, is just a chance to come to training camp without any contract security attached. Nothing is guaranteed. The player has to win a job the hard way.
For a player with Laine’s name recognition and natural talent, that’s a sharp drop in market standing. His shot remains elite, but the league’s appetite for risk has clearly cooled. The injuries keep hanging over him, and teams are understandably wary of committing to someone who has had trouble staying healthy over a full season.
There’s also the five-on-five issue, which makes the picture even murkier. Around the league, he’s increasingly being viewed as a power-play specialist rather than a full-time impact piece.
So while the Islanders have at least kept the door open, the message is obvious: Laine’s value on the market has taken a hit, and right now a PTO is the best offer on the table.
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