The Islanders still look like a team with at least one more swing left in the offseason, and Patrik Laine has surfaced as a name worth watching.
No agreement has been reported, but the 28-year-old winger has been framed as a possible answer to one of New York’s clearest problems after the club missed the NHL playoffs for a second straight year. On Daily Faceoff, Jonny Lazarus made the case that Laine’s profile lines up with what the Islanders are missing.
“I got to imagine they got one more move up their sleeve,” Lazarus said. “I would think, but I feel like the one name at least we talked about this morning that makes a lot of sense for them, and I think we talked about on our show, is Patrik Laine.”
For Lazarus, the appeal starts with the power play, where New York has struggled badly. He singled out Laine’s shot as the kind of weapon the Islanders do not currently have.
“I like it. Why not take a chance on him?
They need the guy on the power play that could shoot the puck,” Lazarus said. “Shoot for the Laine one-timers.”
Mike Rupp was on the same page about the scoring upside, even if he didn’t ignore the baggage that comes with Laine’s recent track record.
“He’s not going to help in that department, but he can score, man,” Rupp said. “We know this. He can at least give you a boost and maybe be a guy that can get that power play going a little bit more.”
Laine is coming off a rough season in Montreal, where injuries wiped out almost all of his year. He played just five games before a serious core muscle injury sent him to surgery, and even after he was back to full health months later, the Canadiens never activated him from injured reserve.
That short stint fits a larger pattern. Over the last three seasons, Laine has appeared in only 75 regular-season games because of a fractured clavicle, knee issues and abdominal surgery. He also spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program during the 2023-24 season.
Rupp said the conversation comes down to the contract.
“It’s really tough,” Rupp said. “I struggle with Patrik Laine because I think we’ve seen kind of the same story over and over again. It’s like you’re waiting for it to maybe click somewhere else, but depending on what that number is, depending on what kind of contract we’re talking about, it maybe would be worth it.”
The hockey case is easy enough to see. The Islanders finished 25th in goals scored last season, even with elite goaltending from Ilya Sorokin and productive years from Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. Peter DeBoer’s system also leans on players who can actually finish chances.
That is why a low-cost, one-year deal with incentives would make sense. It would keep the risk down for New York while giving Laine a chance to rebuild his value. If he stays healthy, he could be the kind of finisher the Islanders have been missing through their disappointing 2025-26 season.
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Islanders Linked To A Scoring Gamble Fans Know They Need
The Islanders have spent enough time searching for more punch that any name with legitimate scoring upside is going to get attention, and Patrik Laine fits that category even if the fit comes with obvious questions. New Yorks interest in the free-agent winger is part of the larger conversation around how to add offense without losing sight of the rosters other needs, especially with the organization still trying to build a more dangerous attack around its core.
There is also the longer view to keep in mind, because the Islanders do not have every future solution arriving right away. Their 2026 first-round pick, defenseman Malte Gustafsson, is not expected to come to North America until after the 2026-27 season, which means the front office has to keep balancing present-day urgency with patience. For a team that knows it needs more finishing, that makes every scoring gamble feel a little more pressing. [Read more 🡒]
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Harleys numbers and mobility make him an easy fit to imagine next to Scott Mayfield, while also giving the Islanders a chance to keep Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov in a more sheltered shutdown role. The problem, of course, is the kind of problem that tends to follow any serious blue-line upgrade for this roster, because Harleys contract would not come cheaply and the Islanders do not have much room to maneuver. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team trying to balance immediate expectations with long-term development, Lees exit is more than a sentimental footnote. It leaves a leadership void in the room and a familiar presence off the ice, even as the Islanders move ahead with new faces, staff changes and a coaching staff that is already sorting out how the pieces fit. DeBoers message was clear enough: the transition is real, and the next phase of this roster is going to look different. [Read more 🡒]