The Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings are circling Patrik Laine this week, and neither team looked comfortable on opening night.
According to the Kimanttia podcast, Detroit and Los Angeles have been the two most active teams trying to sign the unrestricted free agent.
Laine hasn't dressed for an NHL game since October 16, 2025. A core muscle injury that required surgery took the rest of his season.
That's a long time away from game speed.
Signing him now is like buying a car that sat in the garage all winter. It might start on the first try, or it might sit there coughing in the driveway.
Detroit's urgency is easy to read. Friday night, the Red Wings were held scoreless at home in a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers.
Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond and Andrew Copp all went pointless and finished minus-1. John Gibson posted a .950 save percentage and still took the loss.
Detroit's blank opener puts Shawn Horcoff on the clock
The call belongs to general manager Shawn Horcoff. Todd McLellan needs goals from somewhere, and his forwards didn't supply a single one Friday.
Here's the blunt take: Detroit is the better fit. A team that can't buy a goal should be the one taking the bigger swing at offense.
The Red Wings get Winnipeg at home Sunday afternoon, then Ottawa on Tuesday. Neither date will wait for a contract to get done.
Los Angeles has the opposite headache. The Kings opened with an 8-4 loss in Colorado on September 30, and Darcy Kuemper finished at .724.
Artemi Panarin scored and still went minus-2. Adrian Kempe, carrying a $10,625,000 cap hit, didn't register a point.
So why is Ken Holland shopping for offense? Peter Laviolette's problem in that opener lived in his own zone, not the offensive one.
The Kings visit San Jose tonight looking for their first win. A Laine signing wouldn't fix what Colorado exposed.
Small wrinkle: the No. 92 Laine wears is already taken on both sides, by Marco Kasper in Detroit and Brandt Clarke in Los Angeles.
The two suitors don't meet until December 15 in Detroit. By then, one of them may already have its answer on this gamble.
One team can't score and the other can't defend. The player both of them want hasn't stepped on NHL ice in almost a year.
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Should Patrik Laine pick the Red Wings over the Kings?
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