The Philadelphia Flyers still appear determined to boost their scoring after falling short in a bold bid for a young star center earlier this summer.
Last month, general manager Daniel Briere extended a five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson. The Ducks matched the deal, leaving the Flyers empty-handed despite their willingness to surrender four first-round draft picks.
Now another name has entered the conversation as a potential fit in Philadelphia.
Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon listed the Flyers among eight possible destinations for unrestricted free agent Patrik Laine on Aug. 11.
Laine remains without a contract with training camps set to open in a little over a month. The 28-year-old Finnish forward brings a track record of goal-scoring that continues to draw interest despite recent setbacks.
His last season with the Montreal Canadiens ended almost before it began. Laine played just five games, picking up one assist before undergoing core muscle surgery. NHL.com reported in June that he had been cleared to return by the playoffs, though he never rejoined the lineup.
The previous year offered a clearer look at what Laine can still produce. He scored 20 goals in 52 games for Montreal in 2024-25, with 15 of those coming on the power play.
Over his full NHL career, Laine has tallied 224 goals and 422 points in 537 games. Selected second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 draft, he exploded for a career-high 44 goals in 2017-18 and followed that with another 30-goal campaign.
For the Flyers, the appeal centers on adding a proven shooter without repeating the heavy commitment they were prepared to make for Carlsson. Head coach Rick Tocchet already has Trevor Zegras, Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov as part of a young, adaptable core that showed promise last season.
Laine’s heavy shot, especially with the man advantage, could give Tocchet another option on the power play. Yerdon suggested that kind of offensive jolt might be useful in Philadelphia.
Concerns remain, however. Laine’s defensive game has drawn criticism over the years, and his scoring has often come in streaks. Availability is another question mark after he appeared in only 75 regular-season games across the past three seasons.
Philadelphia enters the situation with roughly $15 million in projected salary-cap space, according to earlier reporting. The team has signaled a preference to keep much of that flexibility available for a potential future superstar acquisition rather than locking into a long-term deal right away.
A shorter-term contract for Laine could let the Flyers take a calculated risk on a high-upside scorer while preserving their broader plans. If interest around the league stays quiet as camp nears, Philadelphia might find itself in position to land one of the more recognizable unsigned forwards available at a far lower cost than the player it pursued in July.
Briere has made clear the organization will keep searching for ways to improve the roster without mortgaging its long-term future.
Whether Laine becomes part of that approach remains to be seen, but the conversation has now shifted in his direction after the Carlsson offer sheet fell short.
