Sniper Laine signs 2-year, $13.5M pact with Jets

Patrik Laine is coming back to Winnipeg, and his agent says he’ll be ready to step into the lineup for next week’s NHL season-opener.

The Jets and their sniper ended a contract stalemate with a two-year bridge deal worth US$6.75 million per season, the team announced Friday.

The sides reached the deal just six days before the start of the regular season.

The Jets play Game 1 against the Rangers in New York on Thursday.

“I think he’s going to fly over here, jump in and play a game,” said Mike Liut, Laine’s agent.

Laine had been training with a pro team in Switzerland, but is expected to travel to Winnipeg immediately, via his native Finland. His first availability for questions from the media is Monday, but he did speak briefly to a Finnish reporter on Friday, saying he just wants to play again.

“What I can say is this was a relief,” Laine told Finnish news outlet MTV Urheilu. “They (Jets) already said that I cannot say more. They want me to speak on Monday there.”

Liut trumpeted the deal as the most lucrative two-year bridge contract in the NHL.

It’ll pay Laine $6 million this season and $7.5 million next. That means the Jets will have to extend a qualifying offer of at least $7.5 million for his next contract.

Liut says the agreement gives both sides “a bit of a breather.”

The 21-year-old, drafted second overall three years ago, is one of the most prolific goal scorers in the NHL, recording 110 during his first three seasons. But his production dwindled from 44 goals in his second year to 30 last season, 18 coming in the month of November.

Fellow restricted free agent Kyle Connor remains unsigned.