Two sources believe Laine will be the target of an offer sheet.

Things may be about to get very interesting in the National Hockey League.

As fans of the league will already know for years now general managers in the NHL have had a tool available to them that they all seemingly refuse to use, the dreaded offer sheet. The logic behind this move from NHL general managers was that you did not to do someone what you did not want someone to do to you, it was a form of self-preservation and obviously also a way to stop player salaries from being driven way up by those same offers sheets. 

In fact the last time we saw such an offer sheet it was all the way back in 2012 when the Philadelphia Flyers attempted to structure a deal for superstar defenseman Shea Weber that they felt the Nashville Predators organization would either be unwilling or unable to match. The Predators would of course end up matching that offer and I don't believe they have ever regretted that decision, at least not yet, but in spite of that we have never seen another offer sheet since. 

That may all be coming to a head however as on Saturday Sportsnet's National Hockey League insider Chris Johnston revealed that there was a strong belief in the NHL community that Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews would likely be the target of an offer sheet. Now I know fans in Toronto don't want to hear this but if you're general manager John Chayka of the Arizona Coyotes do you not have an obligation to take a shot at Matthews this upcoming summer if he becomes a restricted free agent? A local superstar could really help grow the game in your market and even if you have to push the offer to $15 million in average annual value I think you could easily make the argument that it would be worthwhile from a marketing standpoint alone. 

Now Johnston is reporting that it may not only be Matthews who is the target of such an offer however, adding that his sources are now informing him that Winnipeg Jets star forward Patrik Laine may also be the target of such an offer. 

From Johnston:

As I reported on “Headlines,” there’s a strong belief inside the industry that Matthews will be a prime target for an offer sheet should he remain unsigned on July 1. I’m led to believe Laine would be as well.

It's not just Johnston reporting these facts either, according to the veteran NHL insider former NHL general manager Brian Burke also believes that we will see our first offer sheet in over 6 years this coming summer.

“There used to be a code,” said Burke. “I don’t think these guys care anymore.”

It sounds like perhaps the biggest fish in the free agent market this coming summer may turn out to be players who are not unrestricted free agents at all, but rather the aforementioned restricted free agents I've just discussed. You have to wonder how hard both the Jets and the Leafs will push to get a contract done before that July 1st restricted free agent deadline knowing that an offer sheet is likely coming if they don't get those deals done.