Patrik Laine has laboured long and hard to develop his skating and uncanny puck skills.
But, like the vast majority of Europeans who play in the NHL, on-ice prep is not an off-season priority.
"I just skated six or seven times," said Laine Tuesday morning between his first sessions at the Iceplex since returning to Winnipeg from Finland. "We don't skate a lot. We just work out at the gym, doing dryland (training)."
Any shooting drills? "No," he replied.