- Islanders had conversations with Patrik Laine’s camp when free agency opened
- Beat writer Stefen Rosner says the Isles were only willing to offer a tryout
- Read below for why the former 44-goal scorer is still without a contract
Patrik Laine is still without a contract, and the New York Islanders are one of the teams that at least picked up the phone.
Islanders beat writer Stefen Rosner laid out where things stand in the latest Elmonters mailbag. He said the Isles spoke with Laine’s camp when free agency opened but never came close to a real contract.
“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 Professional Tryout (PTO).”
NHL Media raised the same question a day earlier:
The fit is easy to see on paper. The Islanders finished 30th on the power play last season at 16.5 percent, and Laine has made his living on the man advantage. Rosner pointed to that, plus a contract wrinkle that works in the Isles’ favor.
“There’s no question Laine could help the Islanders’ power play. And because he missed more than 100 games last season, he’s eligible to sign a bonus-laden contract, allowing for a lower base salary with performance incentives.”
Watch him rip eight power-play goals in nine games during his Montreal run:
What holds him back is everything around the scoring. Laine played just 57 regular-season games and two playoff contests across two years in Montreal. He posted 20 goals in 52 games in 2024-25, but injuries wiped out big chunks of both seasons.
He is still only 28, and the pedigree is real. The Finn went No. 2 overall in 2016 and scored 44 goals in his sophomore year with Winnipeg. Teams just want proof he can stay healthy before handing over real term or money.
New York doesn’t have an obvious opening up front, either. The Isles have stacked their forward group all month, and Rosner doesn’t expect general manager Mathieu Darche to circle back right now.
If Laine’s market stays cold and he’s still unsigned when camps open in September, a cheap, incentive-based tryout on Long Island could start to look better to both sides.
