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"They’re taking the steps": Frankie Corrado weighs in on Habs' playoff hopes and role of Patrik Laine
The Montreal Canadiens made headlines on Monday by trading for prolific goal scorer Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The move sparked optimism among Habs fans about the team's playoff chances this season. However, NHL analyst Frankie Corrado tempered those expectations in an interview with TSN SportsCentre's Laura Diakun on Tuesday (via NHLRumors.com):
"I'm not quite there that they're a playoff team yet, but they're taking the steps, and this is part of it," Corrado said.
"Like you probably bring in Patrik Laine not so much, to just see what he’s got this year, to see if you can turn this around for the long term, and he can join this young nucleus of players moving forward when you eventually do try and make the playoffs." he added.
Corrado pointed out that the Canadiens face a tough road in the competitive Atlantic Division with juggernauts like Toronto, Boston, Florida and Tampa Bay. He believes the Habs are moving in the right direction but still have work to do through the draft and development to build a perennial playoff team.
As for Laine's role, Corrado sees him as a potential long-term fit to complement the Canadiens' young core rather than a short-term fix:
"Patrik Laine has a chance to kind of tie himself to this young core group of players in Montreal and see if he can be a part of the solution moving forward and not the problem," Corrado said.
While Corrado doesn't see the Habs as immediate playoff contenders, he appreciates the strategic thinking behind Laine's acquisition.
Patrik Laine sets high standards for himself
Patrik Laine sets ambitious goals for himself after being traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
"I don't want to come back as a 30-goal scorer. I want to come back as a 40, 50 [goal-scorer]. I’ve done that previously and it's not by accident," Laine told NHL.com.
While individual stats remain important to Laine, he also emphasized the significance of team success over personal accolades:
“But it’s not just all about that. I want to come in and do whatever it takes to contribute to the team and help the team win, whether it’s me scoring 50 or scoring 20, as long as the team wins. I’m getting to that age, I’m not 19 years old anymore. I just want to win,” he added.
As Montreal looks to return to playoff contention, Laine's lofty goals and team-oriented approach might just be the catalyst they need.
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