Patrik Laine has been in a massive slump and there have been calls to either demote him to the 3rd or 4th line or even more, sit him in the press box for a game or two.

This massive goal scoring slump consists of him having not scored a goal in his last…

Four games.

Guys, this isn’t a slump.

One goal in his last ten games played.

Ok, fine maybe the he hasn’t exactly been lighting it up the last while. On top of that, it sure seems like he’s been prone to multiple turnovers each game and been caught flat footed defending in his own end on a few different plays, some of which have been turned into penalties.

So he’s not going to win the Selke trophy any time soon, and yes his turnovers and puck fumbles can be annoying… But are we really that worried about this? And if we are, why do we keep doing this? It wasn’t that long ago Jets fans mocked how Mark Scheifele seemed to fall down on the ice with almost no force acting against him. Byfuglien can make a dozen great rushes into the offensive end but the moment he gets caught on a bad pinch his entire game is micro-analyzed.

You’d almost start to wonder if hockey fans are – and I hate to even suggest this – a little overly critical at the smallest of issues.

Patrik Laine at the tender hockey age of 20 has already become one of the NHL’s elite snipers and in two and a half seasons is already at the 100 career goal mark and if he hits the 40 goal mark this season, he’ll join a very exclusive list of six players that will have hit the 40 goal mark in a season twice before their 21st birthday. That list includes the likes of Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Dale Hawerchuk and Steven Stamkos (and could theoretically include Auston Matthews as well should he hit 40 this season as well)

Patrik Laine is going to be fine, still, there are those who feel the coaching staff should do something our wunder-kid sniper.

Of course let us know how you feel about all the Laine talk on our Twitter feed or in the comments below…