With the constant news always involving Winnipeg Jets, star forward, Patrik Laine, how many points will the twenty-two-year-old have in 2021.
When we think of elite goal scorers in the NHL, one name that comes to mind is Patrik Laine. At the young age of twenty-two, when the 2021 NHL season begins, Laine will be participating in his fifth NHL season with the Winnipeg Jets.
Throughout his young career, Laine has an astonishing 138 goals and 109 assists in 305 games played. He also has eight goals and eight assists in 24 career playoff games with the Jets.
Laine’s best career year came in 2017-2018 when he had 44 goals and 26 assists in 82 games. Unfortunately for Laine, he had 20 fewer points in 2018-2019 and finished that campaign with a head-turning -24 plus/minus.
Last season, Laine missed some time during the regular season with a few injuries. For the first time in his career, Laine finished a season with more assists than goals. He had 35 helpers and 28 goals in regular season play.
Last year’s postseason did not go well for Laine. He got hurt in the first game of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, against the Calgary Flames, and went on to miss the rest of the games in that series. The Jets were subsequently eliminated in the best-of-five series, three games to one.
During this offseason, Laine’s name has been constantly floating around the rumor mill as a potential name to be traded from the Jets and his current two-year deal expires at the end of the upcoming season.
Regardless of what Laine’s trade status may be, the Jets will still be relying on Laine heavily in 2021. The Tampere, Finland native is one of the Jets’ best players, and look for him to have another great season this year.
I predict Laine will have 27 goals and 21 assists for 48 points in 2021. Look for Laine to rank near the top in the NHL for powerplay goals scored when the season concludes.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: How many points do you think Patrik Laine will have in 2021? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*