Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine is headed towards free agency this offseason as he bids adieu to his former hockey club.
In Laine’s first season with Montreal after coming over in a salary dump trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Finn played in 52 games, scoring 20 goals and 33 points. Laine just finished up his second season with the Habs, playing in only 5 games and scoring 0 goals with just 1 assist while dealing with injuries all year long. He did not play at all during the team’s playoff run, as they were knocked out in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Patrik Laine Reveals Future Plans Ahead of Free Agency
At the Canadiens’ year-end media availability, Laine was asked what was next for him now that his four-year, $34.8 million contract is done. According to Laine, he plans on testing free agency, as he knows his time in Montreal is done.
“Just excited where the wind takes me next year. I’m excited to see new opportunities, see where it goes. I’m not too worried about it right now. Just right now, take a little breather and relax and then get back at it,” Laine said (via TSN).
According to Laine, he was healthy enough to slide into the Canadiens’ postseason lineup, but the team didn’t end up getting him into a playoff game.
“I kind of figured early on that I probably wasn’t even going to be playing since I had been out for four, five months. Guys are battling for a playoff spot, and all the guys were playing great. I’d figured I probably won’t be playing but I’ll take this time to support the guys and work hard. If the call comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, still keep working. It’s only going to help me in the future, when you work hard every day. That’s kind of how I saw it this year,” Laine said.
Where Will Patrik Laine End Up Next?
When Laine was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, he immediately burst out of the gate and scored 36, 44, 30, and 28 goals during the first four seasons of his NHL career. At that point, it looked like Laine would be one of the league’s elite goal-scoring wingers for many years to come.
But the Jets then traded Laine in early 2021 to the Blue Jackets, where he had a couple of decent seasons, but nothing like his first few years in the NHL. The Blue Jackets then salary-dumped him to Montreal, where he did not play particularly well.
That being said, he’s still only 28 years old, so he should still have several goals left on his tape, though he will likely be in a situation where he will have to accept a one-year contract for around $1 million.
To that end, look for Laine’s agents to approach capped-out contenders willing to take a flyer on him, such as the Edmonton Oilers, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Colorado Avalanche. These teams don’t have much cap room to offer him, but they can offer him playing with good players, so he would have to seriously consider it if any of them came calling. Plus, if things don’t work out, Laine could be waived, and his cap hit would be buried if it were around that $1 million mark, so it’s essentially a no-risk signing.
Patrik Laine Reveals Future Plans Ahead of Free Agency