Laine gives harsh self-assessment: I 'can't do anything right now'
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine seems to be lacking confidence at the moment.
Although he's produced a goal and an assist in three games, Laine says he feels as though he's struggling in the early going. He gave himself a harsh self-evaluation on Thursday.
"Pretty awful so far," Laine said, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda. "Can't hit the net if my life depends on it, can't make any plays, can't win a faceoff. Just basically can't do anything right now."
Laine has only fired eight shots on goal, 2.67 per game, below his career average of 2.92. His on-ice expected goals share of 47.43% is below average, but it's also fifth-best on the Blue Jackets, per Natural Stat Trick. His average ice time is also down from 19:07 last season to 16:23 in 2023-24.
After spending the first seven years of his career as a winger, Laine is playing center this season, and it's been a learning curve. He's won just 42.1% of his faceoffs and owns a minus-three rating on the season.
But Laine says hard work is the formula to get back on track.
"I'm gonna keep working, gonna keep building, try to fix all this, and try to get back to the level I need to be at," he said.
Laine is currently centering a line with Adam Fantilli and Alexandre Texier after beginning the year playing with Johnny Gaudreau.
The 2016 No. 2 pick was the Calder Trophy runner-up after scoring 36 goals in his rookie season. He potted a career-high 44 goals in his sophomore campaign, but he hasn't surpassed the 30-goal mark since. He tallied 22 goals and 30 assists in 55 games with the Blue Jackets last season.
The Blue Jackets acquired Laine in a January 2021 trade with the Jets that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to Winnipeg.