Would the Montreal Canadiens really trade forward Patrik Laine?
Here is what NHL Insider Frank Servalli had to say about a possible Laine trade:
“I think probably pretty unlikely at this point, let’s see how the season starts, let’s see what kind of productivity level he finds.”
Laine, 27, burst onto the scene in 2016 with the Winnipeg Jets, notching 36 goals and 64 points en route to a Calder Trophy runner-up. He followed that up with an electrifying 44-goal, 70-point explosion in 2017-18 and looked prime for stardom.
However, despite still producing at a high per-game level, Laine has not recaptured those heights.
Staying on the ice has been his biggest problem. His games played by year, in reverse chronological order, are 52, 18, 55, 56, 46 (COVID-shortened), and 68. That lack of durability does not bode well for his potential playoff contributions and could be the biggest reason the Canadiens want to deal him.
Laine is also in the final year of his contract that pays him $8.7 million. He did net 20 goals in his first year in Montreal, but the price tag and potential of losing him for nothing complicate its approach.
Laine still has a wicked, right-handed shot and would fit nicely on a rising team like his old one, the Columbus Blue Jackets, or perhaps the New Jersey Devils, who desperately need another top-six forward.
Ultimately, the Canadiens should let 2025-26 play out and see how Laine does with middle-six minutes. There is no reason he can not excel on a line with, say, Alex Newhook and Oliver Kapanen, or Kirby Dach and Ivan Demidov.
Montreal is poised to exceed its first-round exit, and while Laine has plenty of question marks, he is an immediate impact player.
