Free-Agent Patrik Laine Heading West?

Patrik Laine is reportedly getting very close to signing a new contract, and he could be heading to sunny California in the process. According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Kings have been in contact with Laine of late, and are considering offering him a contract.

Laine had been skating in Florida, so early on this summer there was plenty of speculation the Panthers or Lightning were going to offer him an incentive-ladened contract, but that hasn't been the case at all. The Kings make a ton of sense because they are desperate for offense. The Kings have scored just 17 goals in 7 games and have just one win.

Who knows what Laine has in the tank, as he's been away from NHL action for quite some time. After dealing with a core injury last season with the Montreal Canadiens, he was healthy to return to action in January, but the Habs were rolling, and they didn't want to disrupt their team's chemistry. Laine wound up sitting out the rest of the season, and made it very clear he's not interested in heading back to Montreal.

In 537 career games, spanning across the Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Canadiens, Laine has posted 224 goals, and 422 points. If he's healthy and getting power-play minutes, Laine is capable of scoring 30 goals in his sleep.

Entering this week, the Kings had three NHL contract slots open, and very little cap space, so they'll have to move someone to season ending LTIR to make room, or else someone's getting waived.

As Patrik Laine remains unsigned, I’m told he has zero intention of signing in Europe. The longer this goes on, the more he says he’s motivated to prove people wrong.