Unrestricted free agent forward Patrik Laine has had a seemingly quiet market this summer, and he remains unsigned as the calendar inches closer to August. With so much of free agency already in the rearview mirror, it’s not only unclear where in the NHL Laine will land for 2026-27, but also what kind of contract he’ll receive in order to do so.
One team that has been previously connected to Laine is the New York Islanders. Stefen Rosner of The Elmonters reported earlier this summer that the Islanders had expressed some interest in Laine, but it was not clear to what level they were interested, especially seeing as no contract has materialized.
Now, we have some more detail on the nature of the Islanders’ interest in Laine.
According to Rosner, the Islanders “did have conversations with Patrik Laine’s camp when free agency opened,” but the team was not, and is not, willing to offer Laine “anything more than a Professional Tryout (PTO)” for training camp and the now-shortened preseason.
Rosner also noted that the Islanders “already have a logjam at forward,” and, therefore, are unlikely to circle back to pursuing Laine now that their initial interest has fizzled out.
Where that leaves Laine himself is entirely uncertain. Reports of teams interested in Laine have been scarce this summer, with the Islanders and Los Angeles Kings being the only two teams credibly connected to the winger. And in the Kings’ case, their interest was reported closer to the trade deadline, so it’s unclear whether that reported interest has sustained into the offseason.
In any case, Laine is a complicated free agent to project. He is simultaneously in the argument as the most talented player still available in unrestricted free agency, and also someone few teams would sign and pencil in as a guaranteed part of their plans for next year.
While he is reportedly fully healthy and ready to go for training camp, Laine played in just five games in 2025-26. The year before, he played in 52. Across the last half-decade of NHL hockey, Laine has played in 186 games, out of a total of 410 his teams competed in across that time frame.
One of the game’s most naturally talented pure snipers, Laine is far removed from his days as a 40-goal scorer with the Winnipeg Jets, but showed he can still help an NHL power play during his time in Montreal. During the 2024-25 season, Laine scored 20 goals, 15 of them coming on the man advantage. His 15 power play markers ranked fifth in the NHL, despite, again, playing in only 52 games.
If a team is interested in Laine at this point, it’s likely with the aim of improving their power play. There are some teams still in need of scoring at this point in the summer – The Athletic’s Vince Z. Mercogliano reported earlier this week that the New York Rangers are still “actively seeking” more offensive firepower – but it’s unclear if any of those offense-needy teams, such as the Rangers, see Laine as a potential solution.
While it seems almost unfathomable that a player with the kind of talent Laine possesses might need to settle for a PTO, Rosner’s report indicates that there are some teams that might have interest in Laine, but only on a tryout basis.
Although it still seems unlikely, the longer the former star goal scorer lingers on the open market without a contract, the more likely it will become that he might have to work his way into his next NHL deal during a training camp.
Photos courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images