Patrik Laine continues to look for his new NHL home.
A player who once looked like one of the most promising young forwards in the league for the Montreal Canadiens now simply wants a place to play.
The NHL season got underway this week. The Habs played on opening night, defeating the Maple Leafs, 3-2.
Laine wasn’t there, though. Laine isn’t with any team.
It remains one of the oddest narratives in the NHL, and it remains without a perfect explanation.
Where is Patrik Laine?
Laine remains a free agent.
His contract ended with the Canadiens at the end of the 2025-26 season, and he has yet to sign a new contract.
There have been rumors suggesting that he and other lingering free agent veterans might get chances soon, but as of Oct. 1, Laine hasn’t gotten a deal anywhere.
Why is Patrik Laine Still a Free Agent?
Laine is coming off a very confusing season with the Canadiens.
Laine played just five games in 2025-26 for the Habs, his final year under an expensive contract before hitting the free agent market this summer.
Clearly, he was injured for at least some of his absence, but it was never really clear how badly or when he might have been available to come back. There was some suggestion that at least by the end of the season, Laine was fine — but there’s no way to know that for sure.
Laine is a player with known talent, particularly as a proven weapon on the power play. If he was fully healthy and was coming off a strong season, he likely would’ve landed a big contract this summer.
Instead, he’s coming off this mystery season in which it’s hard to know if anyone outside Montreal knows the full scoop on what happened with Laine at all.
It seems like he’ll have to take a one-year “prove-it” deal, but even that hasn’t come around yet.
Laine may also be hoping for a better opportunity than what he currently sees. Given the season he’s coming off of, he probably doesn’t want to go somewhere that he doesn’t get a real chance.
There’s still a lot of mystery here, though.
Patrik Laine Stats
The former No. 2 overall pick Laine is still just 28 years old.
He has played 537 career NHL games and scored 224 goals with 197 assists (421 points).
Laine played 52 games in 2024-25 and had 33 points for Montreal — 20 goals and 13 assists.
He has also played for the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Another team might be on the list soon, but it’s unclear what Laine still has, or doesn’t have, to offer.
Why Patrik Laine Is Still Free Agent After Canadiens