Future Watch: Patrick Laine Rookie Hockey Cards, Jets Future Watch: Patrick Laine Rookie Hockey Cards, Jets – Talk about superstar potential. Patrick Laine has it and then some. It’s rare that I write that about a prospect but every once in a while, a few players come along who appear to be can’t miss prospects in the NHL and in the hobby. This fabulous Finn is one of them for a multitude of reasons.

Last season, after he was selected with the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, he immediately tested himself against NHL talent in the Hockey World Championships. Sure, he plays against men in the Finnish Elite League, and even though he won playoff MVP honors there, this was a huge test for a player who had never played one minute in the National Hockey League. He had seven goals and 12 points while winning the MVP honors in that tournament as well.

Barring injury, the 6′-5″, 206-pound winger will be a Calder Finalist. He’s already a star in Winnipeg. In his first 21 games with the Jets he managed to get 12 goals and 18 points. He’s not just at the top of rookie scoring. His early goal output is at the top of all NHL scorers early on. To say he’ll keep up that pace is hard to believe but it is possible.

Patrik Laine’s 2016-17 Upper Deck Series 1 Young Guns canvas cards is already highly desirable. His base Young Guns card will release in 2016-17 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey in February. He’s one of the biggest reasons fans are buying boxes at a great rate. Auston Matthews and a deep rookie class is the other.

You can expect Laine to be on the checklists of several future releases.

The release calendar currently lists these upcoming products:

Here’s a look at his first NHL hat trick:

At just 18-years old, Laine is already doing things many players can’t in the crease and in the offensive zone. He’s going to get strong and faster as his career rolls on. It’s hard to tell when he’ll reach his peak. Right now he has to be on every collector’s list as a must-have.

I picked him as a top contender for Calder Trophy winner earlier this year. You can read about more of my picks here.

Future Watch: Patrick Laine Rookie Hockey Cards, Jets – Image Gallery

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