Laine stays in Winnipeg for two years Forward has two years to prove last season was an anomaly

The Winnipeg Jets and Patrik Laine finally reached an agreement this week.

On Friday, the two sides inked a two-year deal that keeps the young forward in Winnipeg.

Right Wing Patrik Laine (#29) of the Winnipeg Jets Photo by Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com

You cannot blame the Jets for going with a two-year agreement, for two seasons they get to measure Laine’s production over two campaigns rather than two months like season.

“Any negotiation, like I’ve always said, it takes its own life with some twists and some turns,” Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said. “Again, it’s about getting to the destination, and we’re excited that we were able to agree to terms today.”

In the 2018-19 season, Laine had 70 percent of his offensive production before the end of November. He essentially disappeared from the scoresheet after that.

The 21-year old did not shy away from thinking he was worth a longer term contract during the off-season.

For Laine, the two-year time line is ideal. If he is going to rediscover his season-long game, he can do it in two years and then renegotiate for a longer term deal when he is 23.

“We’re dealing with an elite player here,” Cheveldayoff said. “If you look at his stats, what he’s accomplished at 18, 19 and 20 years old, there’s not many players that have done that. Again, that’s the uniqueness of the situation here.

“That’s what makes it most exciting for us with Patrik, that I think we’re just starting to scratch the surface of what he actually brings to the table here. We’ve got an opportunity here to see it all unfold in front of our eyes. We’re a team that’s growing, a team that’s maturing.”

Elite, maybe. If Laine was truly elite, the Jets would have thrown more years and money at the forward.

The contract is worth $13.5 million with average annual value of $6.75 million.

So far, Jets forward Kyle Connor remains unsigned with Winnipeg opening the regular season next week.

“We had to make some tough decisions this year,” Cheveldayoff said. “You’re dealing with [an NHL salary cap] that’s a hard one, and sometimes you have to make those tough decisions. We were trying to find a number that would work for both sides and keep as much of the team together as possible.”