There's one UFA left who could be an X-factor for anyone at a relatively low price. The problem, though? He might be made of glass. Patrick Laine, 28, can score goals and can easily be one of the best goal scorers in the NHL, but he's biggest challenge has been staying healthy.
As we enter late August, no team has taken a chance on him, despite his potential. But even with his 224 career goals in only 537 games, there's a massive reason why. A reason why most teams, including the Utah Mammoth, don't want to take a chance.
Patrick Laine's biggest challenge isn't being a superstar
The last time Laine played over 68 games, or a full season, was the 2017-18 season. The last time Laine played over 56 games? Well, the last time he played 68 games. Even though Laine has missed much time, he has never really stopped scoring goals. In the 2024-25 season, in 52 games, he scored 20 goals and added 13 assists, while he played only five games in the 2025-26 season.
Laine has simply missed a ton of time, which is why he remains on the market. The chances of him being picked up somewhere are still pretty high, thanks to the fact that he is still 28, so he can still put together a few great seasons. But with as much as he has missed, teams are understandnly terrified to add a player who has such a high chance at missing very valuable time.
Laine can still be that top-of-the-line guy, but teams are obviously scared to take that chance anyway. Utah doesn't have any wingers, so they aren't likely to add someone like Laine. And if they did add one, they would probably look to trade for a guy like Kirill Marchenko.
For now, though, it is notable that Laine is still on the market and could easily be a top goal scorer if healthy. That's a massive if, though.
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