Laine 'prepared for anything' as contract talks with Jets stall

Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets appear to be at a crossroads.

The restricted free agent said contract talks with the Jets have been non-existent all summer, and he isn't sure what it means for his future with the organization, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Laine said he'll be playing "somewhere" next season; he just doesn't know where.

"Well, you never know. It's still business, you've got to be prepared for anything," Laine said. "But yeah, you never know where you're going to play next year so I'm just prepared for anything."

Laine did admit he wants to be back in a Jets uniform next season.

"Well I've got nothing bad to say about Winnipeg, you know? It's been good so far. But you never know, so that's kind of my comments."

Laine is among a long list of unsigned, star-studded RFAs, along with Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, Matthew Tkachuk, Mikko Rantanen, and others. Player agents are reportedly waiting for Marner's contract to set the market.

Kyle Connor, Winnipeg's other big-name RFA, said earlier this week that he plans to sign a new deal before the start of training camp.

The Jets already watched Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot, and Brandon Tanev depart in unrestricted free agency, and they traded Jacob Trouba. The club has a projected $17.6 million in cap space remaining, according to CapFriendly.

Laine and Connor combined for 64 goals last year, although Laine was plagued by inconsistency, scoring 18 of his 30 markers over a 12-game span.

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