Jackets ready to see what Laine brings to the table

Early last week, John Tortorella sat at his desk in Nationwide Arena with a pen, a notepad and a lot of ideas.
In the hours before the team's win Jan. 23 over Tampa Bay, the Blue Jackets acquired forwards Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic from Winnipeg in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois, and once the game was over Tortorella's mind started racing about how to fit those two players into the CBJ lineup.
In particular, the spot for Laine was of interest, as fitting in a one-time 44-goal scorer who remains just 22 years old is a fun yet important exercise.

"I was just sitting in the office trying to figure out lines," Tortorella said before an interview session recently. "I have about five or six different lineups on my pad of paper now."
How the lineup -- Laineup? -- will exactly look once the Finnish star is ready to play remains to be seen. That could happen as early as tomorrow vs. Dallas, as Laine obtained his work visa Friday and headed to Columbus. With his 48-hour quarantine now complete, assuming he's ready to go after an upper-body injury that cost him three games with the Jets, Laine will be eligible to make his debut against the Stars in Nationwide Arena.
At 5-on-5, it might make sense to pair Laine with center Max Domi, another recent CBJ acquisition who two years ago had 44 assists and professes an affinity for setting up others. On the right wing, would a grinder like Nick Foligno -- who can settle things down defensively when need be and thrive in battles for pucks -- make sense or could another great shot and an underrated possession standout like Oliver Bjorkstrand provide the Jackets a chance to fill up the net (offense is the best defense, after all)?
A lot is already going through Tortorella's mind, but as Laine's potential debut nears, at least the head coach has had some time to think about it.
"Him and I have had a couple of different conversations already," the head coach has said. "I don't know where it all falls. I don't know where it ends up as far as a center; he can play both left and right. I just want to see the people that are available when he gets here."
No matter where Laine is slotted, he comes with strong reviews as a teammate and a person. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said former CBJ and Jets forward Mark Letestu had nothing but good things to say about Laine as a teammate based on their time together in Winnipeg, a message echoed by another Finnish standout in Mikko Koivu.
"What I like the most, and I had a chance to play with him on the national teams, is he really cares for his team and really wants to win," Koivu said. "I think that's the first thing you look for out of your teammates. That's really the first thing that pops into my mind is getting a person and a player that really cares for winning."
It promises to be intriguing how Laine will fit into the CBJ team and improve it. Here's two places where his impact could be most felt.

That shot

Ask Roslovic about Laine's famed shot and he can't help but smile.
Having watched Laine fill up the net in practice and in games -- 140 goals in 306 career NHL games to this point, an average of more than 38 per 82 games -- for the past three seasons, Roslovic has had a front-row seat to the show. He admits it's been a good one.
"It's something special," Roslovic said. "He's obsessed with shooting the puck, whether it's the back of the line shooting at the boards, after practice working on one-timers. There's been many practices where Patrik and I hang out after the skate and we play shooting games just to watch him and learn from him. It's something I think all of Columbus will be excited to see."
One of the fun things about hockey is to see when players get excited about the skills possessed by another player. They almost become kids in a candy store, with smiles on their face and wonderment in their voice as they dissect what makes the elite of the elite tick.
Laine's shot is one of those wonders. "They're just lasers," Seth Jones said with a laugh, and he's not the only one who marvels at what Laine is able to do with the puck on his stick. The shot is the total package -- it's hard, it's accurate, and he can release it from just about any spot on the ice and at any angle.
"He's got a pretty good shot," Domi said, adding a chortle to make clear just how much of an understatement that is. "I've never seen someone shoot the puck that way. I was just talking to Jack on the ice after practice. I can't wait to see this guy shoot the puck on a daily basis in practice.
"Usually everyone has a window of that much space when you're taking a one-timer. You want it in a specific spot - between your feet, your back or your front foot or whatever. (Roslovic) was like, 'You can just put it anywhere and he gets a hold of it.' So I'm definitely looking forward to play with a guy like that."
Added Roslovic: "I think it's more of just how quick it is, how quick his release is, just how heavy his shot is. His real signature shot on that one-timer from anywhere, it's not that hard to pass it to a guy when his wheelhouse is as big as it is. He uses a little bit of a longer stick so he definitely plays to his strength and that's shooting the puck. He will never shy away from that."
But the Blue Jackets also see an underrated part of Laine's game that has blossomed recently. After averaging 0.31 assists per game his first three seasons, Laine averaged 0.51 last year while notching a career-best 35 helpers, and his passing skills have earned rave reviews from CBJ decision makers.
"Often people think of him as a shooter, which he is a great shooter," Kekalainen said, "but he's also a great passer."

The power play

When asked last week where he most wants to see a foundering power play improve, Tortorella had a quick answer: "Everything."
In similarly blunt fashion, Roslovic was asked what Laine will add to the CBJ power play: "Goals. Lots and lots of them."
In other words, it feels like this is a match made in heaven. Columbus' flagging power play -- which is tied for 27th in the NHL at 11.5 percent this season -- has needed some help for a while, and Laine seems like the perfect weapon to add to it with his passing skills and blistering shot, often delivered from the left dot with both pace and accuracy.
That will be a helpful new piece of the puzzle for a Blue Jackets power-play attack looking for the game-breaking element. Columbus has struggled finding a bomb of a one-timer that can consistently score on man-advantage attempts, which has allowed defenders to aggressively defend the PK and the time to cut down shooting lanes in recent years.
Kekalainen says Laine will provide a "weapon for the power play that we may not have had before," and his presence should draw defenders and create more space and open lanes for the team's other attackers.
"It seems like you have to change your whole power-play scheme to prepare for his shot and to try to limit his chances to shoot," Jones said. "He's kind of like an Ovechkin or a Stamkos in that way. It's nice to have him on our side. I think he is going to open up more plays, not just for him shooting but for the other guys, it will give everyone a little bit more space on the ice.
"The PKers will have to have the thought in the back of their mind, 'This guy is always cocked and ready to shoot it.' You have to respect it. That will open up middle lanes for guys to shoot, for me or Zach (Werenski) down the middle. It will open up more space for our offside winger and middle man as well because that (defender) is going to have to cheat over a little bit for that shot. It's going to open up a lot more opportunities for everyone else just the way he shoots the puck."
Tortorella says Laine asked for video of the team's power play to study last week and was preparing to see how he can help the unit as well as becoming familiar with whom he might be skating with.
"He's very intellectual about getting ready to play," Tortorella said. "He had some time because he's kinda jammed of there with his visa and all. … That's encouraging to have a guy that has asked for that already just so he can try to prepare himself so he can fit in."