When the Blue Jackets traded for Patrik Laine, everyone rightly started talking up the Finn’s ability to shoot and score, something our Dan Dukart explored earlier this week, but there was another story line coming from GM Jarmo Kekalainen, and that was Laine's passing ability. So, we decided to look into that – just how good a passer is Laine?
If we look at passing data collected by Corey Sznajder last season, Laine was, as expected, one of Winnipeg’s top shooters, but also an above-average performer when it came to shot assists (passes that led to shots).
Chart and data via Corey Sznajder
If we overlay Winnipeg and Columbus’ passing data from last season we can see where Laine ranks among his former (and now current) teammates.
Chart and data via Corey Sznajder
If we were to assume that players carried over a similar performance to last year, Laine remains one of the top shooters, but ranks among the top Blue Jackets in terms of shot assists (Alexander Wennberg, Sonny Milano, and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who would all rank ahead of him, are no longer on the team).
So, that’s promising. It’s also worth noting that year over year, again according to Sznajder’s data, in 5-on-5 play, Laine has been good for an average of 1.2 high danger passes per 60 minutes. That isn’t among the best in the League, but it's above average and worth noting that Laine’s best year in terms of getting the puck where it needs to be for a quality scoring chance was last season when he rated out at 1.40 high danger passes per 60.
We started to see some of this in Laine’s first game as a Blue Jacket. Here we see Laine set up Seth Jones in the low slot – a quality chance that Jones also noted in his post-game comments as a sign of what the newest Blue Jacket can do.
It’s admittedly one game, and Laine himself wasn’t pleased with his inaugural effort after two weeks away from the ice, but there were flashes of not just his vision of where the puck needs to be, but his ability to get it there.
Why does this matter? Laine needs to be able to draw attention from opponents. His shot obviously does this, but when he brings other team’s skaters to him, if he can also get the puck to his teammates who may be freed up, the Blue Jackets offense becomes more potent overall and doesn’t just rely on Laine as a sole solution for shooting and scoring.
Again, it’s early, but Kekalainen is a GM who does his homework and while the Columbus faithful will be waiting with bated breath for every Laine shot and score, don’t sleep on his ability to distribute the puck and help elevate the Blue Jackets’ passing game.
“(Laine) can pass the puck and he’s not afraid to make plays in traffic,” John Tortorella said post-game. “I thought he made some really good passing plays.”
