{"id":424688,"date":"2026-01-24T01:58:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T01:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/424688\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T01:58:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T01:58:22","slug":"what-is-the-canadiens-plan-for-patrik-laine-the-hockey-writers-montreal-canadiens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/424688\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Canadiens’ Plan for Patrik Laine? – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> acquired Patrik Laine<\/a> from the Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a>, expectations were tempered, but curiosity was high. The former 40-goal scorer was seen as a low-risk, high-reward bet, a player with elite offensive talent who might rediscover his game in a new environment. Fast forward to today, and the big question is no longer\u00a0what Laine could be, but rather\u00a0where, or if, he fits at all\u00a0in Montreal\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

Laine\u2019s Injury\u00a0<\/p>\n

Laine\u2019s 2025-26 season never truly got off the ground. He appeared in just\u00a0five games\u00a0before being sidelined by a\u00a0core muscle injury<\/a>. Unfortunately, this absence fits into a troubling pattern. Injuries have been a constant theme throughout Laine\u2019s career, preventing him from building rhythm, confidence, and long-term chemistry with linemates.<\/p>\n

The team has found a certain balance despite multiple injuries, and Laine\u2019s absence has forced others to step up and fill roles that may no longer be available when he eventually returns. At this stage, it\u2019s fair to ask whether Montreal can realistically plan around a player who struggles to stay healthy year after year.<\/p>\n

A Disappointing Fit in Montreal<\/p>\n

Beyond the injuries, Laine\u2019s overall fit with the Canadiens has been underwhelming. Yes, he recorded\u00a020 goals<\/a> in 52 games during the 2024-25 season, which looks respectable on paper. But context matters. A significant portion of that production came on the\u00a0power play, where Laine\u2019s one-timer remains a legitimate weapon. At\u00a0five-on-five, however, he was often a non-factor.<\/p>\n

\"MontrealMontreal Canadiens right wing Patrik Laine (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Laine never truly established himself as a driver of play in Montreal. His skating, defensive engagement, and consistency away from the puck limited his impact, especially on a young team that values pace, forechecking, and structure. While the acquisition cost, Jordan Harris for Laine<\/a> and a second-round pick, as part of what many viewed as a Columbus salary dump, was reasonable, the return on investment has been questionable.<\/p>\n

The Canadiens hoped Laine could at least be a complementary scorer who tilted the ice offensively. Instead, too many nights went by where he blended into the background, unable to impose himself unless set up perfectly on the man advantage.<\/p>\n

Where Could He Even Play Now?<\/p>\n

This is where things become complicated. Even if Laine returns healthy,\u00a0there simply isn\u2019t a clear spot for him in the lineup. The\u00a0second line\u00a0is firmly established and playing strong hockey. There is no reason for the Canadiens to disrupt that chemistry to accommodate Laine. As for the\u00a0first line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield<\/a>, it\u2019s hard to imagine Laine getting that opportunity. The Canadiens have tried multiple options there, and Laine\u2019s lack of five-on-five impact makes him an unlikely candidate.<\/p>\n

\"SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

That leaves the\u00a0bottom six, and that\u2019s arguably an even worse fit. Laine does not play a very good defensive game, does not bring physicality, and does not provide the kind of energy or reliability typically expected from bottom-six forwards. Paying a premium scorer to play limited minutes in a checking role makes little sense for either side.<\/p>\n

In short, Laine currently finds himself without a natural role. He\u2019s not good enough defensively for the bottom six, and not impactful enough at even strength for the top six.<\/p>\n

A Trade at the Deadline?<\/p>\n

Given all of this, the idea of a\u00a0deadline trade\u00a0becomes increasingly logical. Laine is set to become an\u00a0unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and the Canadiens must decide whether there is any value in keeping him beyond that point.<\/p>\n

If Laine returns before the deadline and shows even a brief scoring touch, a contender might take a chance, particularly if Montreal is willing to\u00a0retain up to 50% of his remaining salary. In that scenario, expectations would be minimal. The Canadiens would likely receive\u00a0little to no return.<\/p>\n

Related: Canadiens\u2019 Kirby Dach Needs to Take Advantage of His Current Opportunity<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the possibility that Montreal would need to outright\u00a0dump the contract, prioritizing roster flexibility and lineup clarity over asset recovery. While that may feel underwhelming, it could still be an option.<\/p>\n

Laine\u2019s situation in Montreal feels like it\u2019s nearing its conclusion. Between recurring injuries, an awkward fit, and a lineup that has evolved without him, the Canadiens no longer appear built to accommodate his skill set. What once looked like a low-risk gamble now feels like a short-term experiment nearing its end.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When the Montreal Canadiens acquired Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets, expectations were tempered, but curiosity was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424689,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5103],"tags":[265,5,264,21,5147,4,640],"class_list":{"0":"post-424688","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-montreal-canadiens","8":"tag-canadiens","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-montreal","11":"tag-montreal-canadiens","12":"tag-montrealcanadiens","13":"tag-nhl","14":"tag-patrik-laine"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115947603002946638","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}