It takes a truly special talent to win awards over NHL players before even being drafted into the League. Laine possesses that kind of elite ability.

The No. 2 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets was still 18 when he was named the most valuable player at the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He tied for the tournament lead with seven goals, and his 12 points tied him for first in scoring on Finland, which finished second.

Of course, such a performance was not unexpected from Laine. A forward with a rocket shot, good speed and tremendous skill to go along with the reach provided by his 6-foot-4, 206-pound frame, Laine is a threat to score every time he steps on the ice.

Before dominating at the World Championship, Laine had already enjoyed a superb season that rocketed him up the predraft rankings from mid-first-round pick to the consensus No. 2 choice, where he was selected by the Winnipeg Jets.

Still just 17 at the start of 2015-16, Laine spent the entire season with Tappara of the Finnish Elite League after playing six games with the team the previous season; he finished by leading all rookies in Liiga, Finland's top pro league, with 17 goals and 33 points in 46 games.

Laine also helped Finland to a gold medal on home ice at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship. He scored seven goals, which tied him with Auston Matthews of the United States for the tournament lead and earned him a spot on the tournament all-star team.

In the 2016 Liiga playoffs, Laine scored 10 goals and had 15 points in 18 games to lead Tappara to the championship. He also won the Jari Kurri Award as the best player in the postseason.

Laine arrived in the NHL as an 18-year-old in 2016-17 and looked right at home. He finished with 64 points (36 goals, 28 assists) in 73 games, finishing second in voting for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Laine was even better in his second season, finishing second in the NHL with 44 goals, then had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 17 games to help the Jets advance to the Western Conference Final before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.

After Laine was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 23, 2021, he had 77 points (36 goals, 41 assists) in 101 regular-season games and signed a four-year, $34.8 million contract July 22, 2022.

Laine played his final game for the Blue Jackets on Dec. 14, 2022, because of a broken clavicle and began receiving care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Jan. 28. He was cleared from the program July 26, and requested a trade, which was granted when he was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens on Aug. 19.

Laine scored in his Canadiens debut, a 2-1 overtime win against the New York Islanders 2-1 at Bell Centre on Dec. 3, 2024. He missed the first 24 games of the season while recovering from a knee sprain he sustained in a preseason game Sept. 28, yet earned a roster spot with Finland for the 4 Nations Face-Off.