Former teammate preaches patience to Jets fans as Laine adjusts to stardom

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This article was published 08/10/2016 (3317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Patrik Laine’s old roommate says the Finnish teen is destined to be an NHL star.

Minnesota Wild left-winger Mikael Granlund admitted he’s a big fan of the 18-year-old Winnipeg Jets rookie forward after sharing a room with him and watching him perform on the international stage with Team Finland earlier this year.

“I had a chance to play with him at the World Cup and I was his roommate in Moscow and St. Petersburg for the world championship, too, and we can all see what he can do on the ice. He can shoot the puck and he can make some plays, and I think he’s going to do really good in this league for a long time,” said Granlund, speaking after Minnesota’s pre-game skate Saturday at Xcel Energy Arena.

“If you can get one of those guys on your team, he’s going to make defence on the ice, at some point, really scared.”

The Jets and Wild hit the ice at 7 p.m. (CT) in the final NHL pre-season test for both clubs. Winnipeg is 4-2 after dropping a 5-2 decision to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

The Wild, 2-3 in the pre-season, are expected to go with Devan Dubnyk in goal, while the Jets will likely counter with Michael Hutchinson.

Laine will play in his fourth pre-season game and is still looking for his first point. He’s expected to play on a line with centre Mathieu Perreault and Joel Armia, a fellow Finn.

Granlund, 24, who will skate with countryman Mikko Koivu at centre and veteran right-winger Jason Pominville, said success for Laine won’t happen overnight and hockey fans in Winnipeg should set their expectations accordingly.

“For sure, it’s not easy. You’re only 18,” said Granlund, who was selected ninth overall in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Wild. He then played two full seasons in Finland and spent a chunk of time with the AHL’s Houston Aeros during the 2012-13 campaign before becoming a regular with Minnesota the last three years.

“When I came into this league, it was a big adjustment. You’re doing really good in Europe and you think that’s going to be enough here,” he said. ‘But you figure it out the NHL is a really, really good league and it might take some time.”

Granlund said Laine, drafted second overall behind Auston Matthews in this summer’s NHL Draft, possesses the maturity and savvy to handle the pressure of a very large spotlight in Winnipeg.

“He’s a great guy and he loves hockey. He really wants to be a better player,” he said. “Maybe we talked a little about what to expect, but he’s a smart guy and I think he’s going to figure it out.

“At the same point, I think himself and people need to have a little patience. You can’t expect too much from an 18-year-old kid.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

@WFPJasonBell