Did this video of Patrik Laine just reveal his next NHL location?

Patrik Laine is skating in Florida, and Paul Maurice suddenly has another reason to be linked to one of the NHL's most intriguing unsigned forwards.

A new video shows Laine training in Florida while still wearing Montreal Canadiens equipment. On its own, the gear means little. The location and company around him are much harder to ignore.

Laine has been spending time around Panthers players, with Aaron Ekblad among the NHL names spotted on the ice. Alexey Toropchenko has also been part of the group.

That doesn't confirm a contract is coming. But for a player still looking for his next NHL opportunity, offseason skating partners can create plenty of attention.

Florida also offers a familiar connection. Aleksander Barkov and Laine have a longstanding relationship, giving the Finnish winger an established link inside the Panthers locker room.

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And then there's Maurice. The Panthers head coach worked with Laine in Winnipeg, so there would be no mystery about the player, his shot or the type of offensive role he could fill.

Patrik Laine already has ties to Florida

The video shows Laine moving through drills in his Canadiens gear while sharing the ice with players connected to Florida. It's enough to make the Panthers angle feel more realistic than a random August rumor.

There's an obvious hockey fit to consider as well. Laine's biggest weapon remains his release, and a team looking for another power-play shooting option could give him a specialized role without asking him to carry a top line.

Maurice would also know exactly what he was signing up for. He coached Laine during his Winnipeg years, which could remove some of the uncertainty that follows any reunion discussion.

None of this means Bill Zito has a contract ready. Laine wearing Canadiens equipment actually underlines that nothing official has changed yet.

But players choose where they train, who they skate with and where they spend their offseason. When an unsigned player keeps showing up around the same NHL organization, people notice.

Florida now has multiple threads connecting Laine to the Panthers: Barkov, Maurice, Panthers players and repeated offseason time in the area.

Maybe it's only summer hockey. Or maybe the first clue to Patrik Laine's next NHL team has already appeared on video.