The Montréal Canadiens re-signed both Jakub Dobes and Ivan Demidov to new contracts earlier this summer, only weeks after having advanced to the Eastern Conference Final following a pair of thrilling road Game 7 victories in the earlier two rounds.
However, one player that they chose not to extend and by all indications are moving on from is Finnish forward Patrik Laine, who had spent the last two seasons with the organization but missed long stretches of time thanks to various injuries.
All indications point toward Laine having to seek other options in the NHL if he wants his professional career to continue in North America, and according to a recent report, a key bitter rival of the Canadiens could potentially come calling.
Could Former Montréal Canadiens Forward Patrik Laine Join The Bitter Rival Toronto Maple Leafs?
According to NHL Insider Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen, the rival Toronto Maple Leafs are a club that is reportedly interested in Laine; Garrioch also wonders why the Senators aren’t showing more interest given his goal-scoring abilities.
“The 28-year-old Laine struggled to stay healthy with the Montreal Canadiens, and, as a result, his stock fell off the map. The Senators could use a pure scorer, and Laine has consistently potted 20 goals,” Garrioch wrote.
“There is reportedly interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. If other Eastern teams are interested in Laine, why aren’t the Senators?”
However, in order to accommodate a potential contract for Laine, the Maple Leafs would need to shed some salary, as they are currently in the negative to the tune of -$2,752,382 per Puck Media.
Patrik Laine Has Played The Last Two Seasons With Montreal
Laine, selected second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft—one pick after Auston Matthews—has since also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens.
Injuries and other setbacks have limited him to 57 games over the past two seasons, during which he recorded 20 goals and 14 assists.
For his NHL career, Laine has produced 224 goals and 198 assists in 537 regular-season games, along with eight goals and nine assists in 26 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Patrik Laine Linked To Top Canadiens Rival Club