Jets coach Maurice takes another harsh shot at Laine!

Patrik Laine might be missing from the Winnipeg Jets’ training camp, but the spotlight was on him on Monday when he made bold comments on the coaching staff and his teammates in a Finnish interview.

Laine told Pekka Jalonen of Finland’s Iltalehti that he believes he would be a first-line player on most NHL teams, but instead has pushed to play lower in the Jets lineup.

“When you’re having contract negotiations, one thing always is who are you playing with,” Laine told the newspaper Iltalehti. “With the merits I have, somewhere else I’d have an opportunity to play with the best players. Everybody who understands hockey knows that.

 “There are top lines and then there is our line. But I play with the guys I’m told to play.”

His head coach Paul Maurice fired back on Tuesday evening with a great driver’s licence analogy, stating that “nobody gets the keys at 14”, but added another tough shot on Wednesday night after the Jets’ preseason game against the Minnesota Wild. 

One reporter informed Maurice that Andrew Copp’s offence was making a good case for a bigger role. The head coach did not hesitate to mock Laine’s comments with his witty reply: 

“Did he tell you he wants to play with our best players?”

Now, you have to admit that’s a great comeback for Maurice. 

Laine is coming off a season that saw his goal total dip from 44 to 30. He scored 18 of them in 12 games in November, and had long slumps after that, which prompted Maurice to make many lineup changes to get the most out of his guys.

The RFA is still negotiating with the Jets on a new deal and is reportedly seeking a short-term bridge contract at the moment. When he does come back, he and Maurice will probably need to talk things out before getting the season started.