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Jets sniper Patrik Laine re-signs with Winnipeg for $13.5M

The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed high-profile scorer Patrik Laine to a two-year, $13.5 million deal.

That was announced Friday by Mark Chipman, chairman of True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the NHL team.

“Our deal reflects what we think is the best for us. Patrik has enormous potential,” Chipman told the crowd at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

He said he hates to use the term “win-win,” but believes both parties feel they got a good contract.

Laine has not practised or played any pre-season games with the Jets as he waited for a new contract. But the 21-year-old has been skating with Swiss club SC Bern in the meantime.

The right-winger, who joined the Jets in 2016, has 110 goals and 184 points in 237 regular-season NHL games in his career. He’s added 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 23 playoff outings.

Laine scored 36 goals as a rookie before adding 44 in 2017-18, but dipped a bit last season with 30, which was still good enough for third on the team behind winger Mark Scheifele (38) and fellow restricted free agent forward Kyle Connor (34), who remains unsigned.

As for Connor, who has also been sitting out awaiting a new contract, Chipman said negotiations are ongoing and are “cordial and professional.”

“We are just trying to find the right sweet spot,” he said, adding the team is “confident we’ll get that one done as well.”

Winnipeg made it to the Western Conference final two years ago, but was knocked out in the first round of last season’s playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues.

Laine was one of a number of high-profile restricted free agents to hit the market July 1 — a list that included Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, Tampa Bay Lightning centre Brayden Point, Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen and Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk.

The Jets open the season against the Rangers on Oct. 3 in New York.

Watch how Laine’s one-timer comes together:

Dissecting the mechanics of Patrik Laine’s one-timer. 1:07

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