Aleksander Barkov unloaded his direct words about Patrik Laine's situation – then came a surprising revelation

Patrik Laine’s future NHL team is still shrouded in mystery, but Aleksander Barkov has now revealed an interesting detail about the Finn’s recent weeks.

The captain of the Florida Panthers stated at the NHL media day that Laine has been practicing in Florida with the Panthers.

– He has been training with us in Florida for a bit, and I have seen him quite often in recent weeks, Barkov says on the NHL website.

Laine is currently without an NHL contract. There are less than three weeks until the start of the regular season, as the season kicks off on September 29.

Barkov did not stop at just revealing this information, but also strongly expressed what Laine should be getting next.

– He definitely needs to find a place to play. You have seen how he can score goals and what kind of impact he can have. Hopefully, he is closer to finding a new team, Barkov stated.

Laine played the last two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. Last season was interrupted, as he spent a large part of the season on the injured list, even though he was fit to play since the turn of the year.

The Finn has been linked to several NHL teams over the summer. The Panthers, represented by Barkov, have also emerged as an option.

The connection to Florida is therefore not entirely theoretical, at least in terms of training. According to Barkov, Laine has been with the team in Florida, and the Finnish duo has also seen each other in recent weeks.

The Panthers are coached by Paul Maurice, under whom Laine made his NHL breakthrough with the Winnipeg Jets ten years ago.

Known as a goal scorer, Laine last surpassed the 30 regular-season goals mark in the 2018–19 season. However, Barkov believes that the Finn still has the opportunity to rise to a significant role in the NHL.

– He is quite determined about wanting to show everyone what kind of player he is and that he can be a key player in this league for a long time. I hope he gets a good opportunity somewhere to showcase his skills.