It’s August 10, and there still remain plenty of intriguing big-name players on the NHL free agent market.
One of those is three-time 30-goal scorer Patrik Laine, and while the Finnish winger has had a rough go of it in recent years, it still sounds like there are teams interested in taking a flier on his talent.
According to Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette, the Toronto Maple Leafs are among the suitors to have been connected to Laine, along with the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Philadelphia Flyers.
“While it seems virtually certain Patrik Laine’s time with the Canadiens is over after portions of two seasons, the Finnish forward has been linked to numerous other NHL teams.
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,”
The 28-year-old Laine just finished out the four-year, $34.8 million contract extension he originally signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2022. He tallied one point (one assist) in just five games played in 2025-26.
Laine could be an interesting and worthwhile gamble for any team in the league given that he’ll likely come cheap and still has the upside to provide legitimate value as a goal scorer and weapon on the power play.
That being said, the Maple Leafs already have a logjam of forwards and plenty of high-end talent, so they may not necessarily be the team that can provide him with the opportunity to thrive and best utilize his skill set.
If Laine chooses Toronto, then great, but otherwise, it would appear more likely than not that one of the other landing spots—New York, Minnesota, Tampa, Philadelphia, or even elsewhere—would be a better fit.
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