On Monday, I wrote about Eeli Tolvanen, and how the pending free agent forward coming out of Seattle is a prime target for general manager Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Tolvanen is a better bet from a predictability standpoint. Based on his track record from his days in Seattle, you more or less know what you are going to get.

With my next suggestion, it’s far more up in the air what kind of player you could be bringing in. And that’s what makes the idea, at the very least, more entertaining. His name is Patrik Laine.

This is an idea I first proposed last summer, back when Laine was still in Montreal. At the time, Laine was still under contract with the Canadiens, and bringing the forward in would have required a trade. Laine was entering the fourth and final year of a contract he initially signed in Columbus, paying him $8.7 million against the cap.

A diminished version of Laine, one who wasn’t carved out for the bottom-six role his ice time gave him and didn’t have the scoring touch to justify the price tag, wouldn’t have cost much at all to acquire. The deal was not to be, though, and Laine ultimately stayed in Montreal for another year.

A lot has changed in the NHL since last summer, but the one thing that has barely changed is his career stat line. That’s because Laine, just five games into last season, underwent core muscle surgery, effectively ending his season in October. He had just one assist before the absence.

Montreal, meanwhile, built off their upstart success from last year and made a run all the way to the Eastern Conference Final this May. And as they fully embrace this new era of Canadiens hockey, Laine isn’t a part of the future in Montreal.

Now hitting the market as a free agent, the value of the former second overall pick couldn’t be lower. At 28, Laine hasn’t played more than 18 games in two of the last three years. His ice time has declined for three straight years, is a combined -27, and was a scratch during Montreal’s playoffs two years ago.

But, this might just be the perfect time to bring Laine in on the cheap.

At his best, Laine is one of the game’s most lethal goal scorers. During his days in Winnipeg, the Finn was scoring just about every other game (a 0.48 goal-per-game pace). Even during his first two years in Columbus, he was at or just under a point per game.

A lot has gone against him in the last few years, including rotten injury luck which has kept him out of lineups. When he is healthy, however, he can still contribute to a team.

And that’s what makes him an intriguing option for the Penguins. He could be this year’s Anthony Mantha, a guy who missed almost all of last season with injury, available on a cheap one-year deal, and can bounce back in a lineup with a spot open for him.

Two years ago with the Canadiens, Laine proved he could still score. In 52 games, he tallied 20 goals and added 13 assists (33 points), his highest points-per-game pace in the last three years.

The vast majority of his production came on the man advantage. Fifteen of those 20 goals he scored came on the power play, and he finished the year as Montreal’s leading power-play scorer.

Perhaps that’s a role he can play in Pittsburgh as well.

Last season, Pittsburgh’s power play was one of the best in the NHL, finishing seventh in the league at a 24.14% rate. But, the Penguins are set to lose a decent part of that success. Mantha, the pending free-agent forward who put his name back into the mainstream in Pittsburgh, finished third on the team with seven power play goals. Laine, with his shot, could help keep Pittsburgh’s power play as one of the best in the league.

If the NHL used Olympic rules and allowed a 13th forward, Laine could camp on the bench all game until the opponent was in the box. That 13th forward idea feels curated for what his game is today.

But, this is the NHL, and Laine still needs to play on 5-on-5 as well. While an even-strength Laine is certainly less appealing than what he can do on the man advantage, there is an opportunity for him to slide into the third line. There, where perhaps he works with last year’s rookie sensation Ben Kindel centering that trio, Laine isn’t always attempting to defend against other team’s top competition.

In that way, you can somewhat shelter Laine, and hope that his strengths can outweigh the weaknesses in his game. If Laine can rebound in a fully healthy season, it’s possible things work out well for the Penguins.

Even if it doesn’t, it’s not a huge risk the Penguins are taking by bringing Laine in. Given everything that has gone on, he can’t command a ton of money in free agency. And a one-year deal is probably best for both sides.

A signing team doesn’t want to take the risk of a hefty financial commitment to Laine, and the player probably wants a one year, show-me deal to secure a much bigger contract coming in 2027.