Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! As the NHL offseason winds down, most teams have completed their signings, and the rumor mill is relatively quiet, aside from a few prominent RFAs. However, with Patrik Laine recently exiting the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program, speculation about him joining the Montreal Canadiens has intensified.
The Canadiens have been active, recently signing Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and Justin Barron to new contracts. On Day 1 of free agency, they extended Juraj Slafkovsky’s contract by eight years. Yet, President Jeff Gorton and General Manager Kent Hughes may still use the cap space they’ll gain once Carey Price goes on LTIR at the start of the season.
There’s talk that the Canadiens want to add another top-six forward, and Laine’s name keeps coming up. Montreal showed interest in Laine, but his status in the player assistance program left uncertainties. With Laine now available, rumors about him joining the Canadiens are picking up.
Could the Canadiens land Laine?
The Canadiens have been linked to Laine even before his release from the player assistance program. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, new Columbus General Manager Don Waddell aims for a hockey trade involving Laine. The challenge will be finding a team that can absorb Laine’s $8.7M cap hit.
On Day 1 of free agency, Hughes sought to add a top-six forward and attempted to bring Jonathan Marchessault to Montreal, but didn’t want to offer a contract beyond three years. Since last season, the Canadiens have been eager to acquire a top-six forward.
Does acquiring Laine make sense for Montreal? Absolutely. Last season, the Canadiens averaged 2.83 goals per game, the lowest in the NHL. Adding Laine would boost that average. Plus, Laine’s age aligns well with Montreal’s core.
Though his $8.7M cap hit might seem daunting, Laine has only two years left on his deal. Given his recent regression, the cap hit is a concern but manageable, especially if he scores 20-25 goals in an 82-game season.
Montreal has the draft capital to facilitate a trade. According to PuckPedia.com, they have multiple picks in the first four rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft. However, Columbus isn’t interested in prospects and picks—they want a roster player in return.
Waddell aims to offload Laine’s $8.7M cap hit but may need to take on some of it. This could mean trading a player like Josh Anderson, who has a $5.5M cap hit over the next three seasons. With the Canadiens signing their young defensemen, they might consider including Mike Matheson in the deal, though losing a veteran amid so many young players would be tough.
Then there’s the Martin St. Louis factor. As coach, St. Louis has improved players like Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Guhle, and Slafkovsky. While the jury is still out on Kirby Dach, imagine what St. Louis could do with Laine in the lineup.
If things don’t work out, Montreal can let Laine go after two years. If they do, the Canadiens will have added a pure goal scorer who could bring significant value to the team.
Adding a 40-goal scorer is always a risk, but for Montreal, acquiring Laine is a risk worth taking.
