Humility alternates with humility? I will be a completely different player, Laine promises a peculiarity

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“Trejd is nothing to think about. I focus on the present and I’m not worried about what will happen tomorrow. I’m in Winnipeg now, I’m looking forward to playing and I’m in great shape. This year I will be a completely new player, “Patrik Laine told nhl.com after the first day of the training camp.

“I think I am on a good path, which I have been continuing since last year. I took a few really good steps in the right direction as a power forward that can score, “he said.

He talks about his game, but overseas he mainly discusses Laine’s character and his unhealthy influence on the team.

The Finnish bachelor is really peculiar. Before he even peeked into the NHL, he confidently declared that he would be number one in the draft. He was wrong, Toronto eventually chose a more creative, advanced and, above all, more team-based player, Auston Matthews.

He was later told that his individual skills were tremendously high, and within five years he would be as good, if not better, than the renowned Russian scorer and multiple Maurice Richard Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin.

When he actually penetrated the NHL, there was talk of his arrogance and stellar manners. At first he was annoyed that he had too little time on the ice. He then advised the coaches from a distance through the journalists that his skills would stand out best in the first formation with a time of well over twenty minutes per match.

And when, after three years of novice, the first major contract and the extension of cooperation with the Jets were negotiated, he felt undervalued and went to grieve in Bern, Switzerland.

The split was ignited only at the last minute agreement of both parties. The wingman agreed to a compromise, the club also retreated slightly and a tumultuous two-year contract for $ 13.5 million was born.

Obviously, his self-confidence and excessive demands did not pay off at the time when he had to show his best. After all, the media and fans blame him for being too bloated. Therefore, it was very surprising when he chose a more humble tone in front of journalists at the camp, at least for a while.

“I just want to play well this year. This will be best for both parties. What happens in the future is not even my challenge. I’m here. I play well, I will work hard every night and that’s all I can do, “he says.

Recent speculations about the trade have probably helped his words a lot. It has been said out loud that the New York Islanders, who are eager to continue the victorious dynasty of the 1980s, are very interested in his services. Behind the scenes, Finn also moved to the newly emerging Seattle Kraken, where he would be the number one striker.

It was also revealed that during the post-season break, Agent Mike Liut said of his client’s trade and Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff responded publicly: “We are considering all our options, including potential trading with various players.”

Coach Paul Maurice also talked about it at the camp. “Today, these things get out, but it doesn’t have to be directly from the player. It is a hint or a hint that it may be time for a change. To be honest, I don’t spend time thinking about it. Just look. We had a hard practice, Patrik was in a good mood and you can see that he wants to be a good player. He was tough, fast and good as I know him. That’s the only thing I’m interested in now. “

Although both sides now live in a seemingly symbiosis and Laine seems slightly tamed on the outside, it is becoming increasingly clear that Cheveldayoff will not be idle. The right wing of the right wing ends after the season and they will not let the right-hander with a laser-accurate shot free of charge.

2016 NHL Draft Two Patrik Laine wears a Winnipeg jersey.

Therefore, by the April transfer deadline, the manager of the Canadian club could look for a new buyer willing to give up the first election in the next drafts and find a new, more conciliatory and productive star that will lead Winnipeg to the first Stanley Cup.

It is clear that the Jets are running out of patience with Laine’s behavior, demands and pressure from the agent, although the young man has not spent a single fifty-game season in four seasons in the NHL. He was closest to the prestigious border in the 2017/18 season, when he scored 44 goals, but since then his goal production has weakened. When the speech turned to the store and its performance, it turned out to be a rioter again. As the whole league knows it.

“I do not care what other people say. Even Wayne Gretzky was replaced. Hockey players are constantly being exchanged. After all, it’s part of the game and you have to be aware of that, “Laine countered.

The question remains whether an unpredictable Northerner will change his mind. Paul Stastny has returned to the Canadian team, with whom he has a great understanding both humanly and professionally, and by the American side he experienced the most successful year of 2017/18.

“Paul is an amazing player. While he’s here, we’ve played some really good matches together and I see him as a great addition to the top six of our forwards. We can make a big fuss with him and Kyle Connor. I’m looking forward to finding out what we can do together, “he added.

Laine was once compared to Finnish legend Teem Selänn. He could learn refined behavior from a renowned gentleman. However, the contradictory Finn is anything but cold. Over the next few months, it will be very interesting to see what he and Winnipeg show the fans in this bet.

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