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If he hadn’t been left to sort it out on a line that simply didn’t work.

If Kevin Hayes could have been Paul Stastny 2.0.

If a complementary centre could have been acquired.

If Laine’s play down the last couple weeks of the season and into the playoffs had been the standard, not a late-season revelation that, indeed, he could play at a level worthy of being a top-line player.

There are a lot of ‘ifs’ upon review.

But here we are, several days into training camp and sans Winnipeg’s second overall pick in the 2016 draft.

Winnipeg used to be good and perhaps still is in the eyes of Winnipeg’s most popular 21-year-old.

For now, Laine has holed himself up in Switzerland, training with Swiss professional team SC Bern and giving juicy interviews with subtle jabs — perhaps just the latest round of posturing — to Finnish reporters.

Laine’s frustration is evident. And he has valid reasons to be disgruntled.

In theory, the line should work. One creative, albeit unpredictable at times, winger in Ehlers who drives shots for, a defensively responsible centre in Bryan Little, and Laine, a threat so grave to opposing goalies that often, it’s only Laine’s inaccuracy that prevents the puck from hitting the back of the net.

In practice, the theory has been debunked. But instead of walking away from it, the Jets went back, again and again, poking it to see if there are any signs of life.

At times when they should have pulled the plug on it, they didn’t. Part of the rationale behind keeping the trio together has been that the three other lines around them have played well.