Fansided

One player from each NHL team who should be on the NHL 18 cover

By David Rouben

Nov 2, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) prepares to throw pucks to the crowd after the game against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) prepares to throw pucks to the crowd after the game against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 27, 2016; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets right wing Patrik Laine (29) scores and celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the Dallas Stars at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2016; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets right wing Patrik Laine (29) scores and celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the Dallas Stars at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports /

Winnipeg Jets: Patrik Laine

It may just be one month, but people are already likening Matthews vs. Laine to Crosby vs. Ovechkin. While Matthews is a dynamic playmaker, Laine is an explosive goalscorer, and he has proven that so far. When the Jets landed the second overall pick, they knew they were getting a special player.

His strong play in the World Juniors – 13 points in seven games – propelled Finland to a Gold medal, and actually had people in Toronto debating who they should take first overall. Ultimately, the fact that Matthews is a center made it easier, but both Laine and Mark Scheifele have benefited from each other’s presence. While Scheifele leads the league in points, Laine leads the league in goals.

And his fast start has also got Jets fans comparing him to another Finnish winger who used to play in Winnipeg. It’s a warranted comparison too, because they both scored 11 goals in their first 14 games. Given the way scoring has changed in the NHL, it’s highly unlikely that Laine will actually reach 76 goals this year just like Teemu did, but what a story it would be if he did.

Considering this Jets team is a different franchise than the old one, you can already anoint Patrik Laine the greatest Finnish winger in franchise history. And even though they just drafted second overall, they made the playoffs the year before that.

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Laine seems to have reinvigorated this lineup, but now that Jacob Trouba is back and Bryan Little hasn’t played yet, they’re only going to get better. Depending on how far along they progress this season, they might become a dangerous team in the playoffs.

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