The Montreal Canadiens continue to have an uneventful offseason. And while they have made a few moves, other than acquiring Zack Bolduc from the Blues, they have been mostly silent in the trade market. But that is changing.
Recently, new rumors have surfaced linking right-winger Patrik Laine to a transfer. For the Canadiens, who might want some urgent firepower in their front line, this move makes sense. Rumors say that a couple of teams have already shown interest.
But according to one insider, this deal might not come to fruition.
Insider Doesn’t Believe That the Canadiens Will Trade Patrik Laine
While $34.8 million Laine has shown promise in the past season, his output hasn’t matched the Canadiens’ needs. With 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists), he remains just outside their top six. He has been contending for that spot with Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak.
And while the other two are ahead of him, Laine has shown the capacity to score more goals. That’s why teams like the Utah Mammoth, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Carolina Hurricanes have shown interest in him, as per reports.
But according to insider Frank Seravalli, there is no chance this trade would happen. He mentioned, “I think probably pretty unlikely at this point, let’s see how the season starts, let’s see what kind of productivity level he finds.”
Frank Seravalli: Re Patrik Laine trade odds: I think probably pretty unlikely at this point, let’s see how the season starts, let’s see what kind of productivity level he finds – Bleacher Report (7/29)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 30, 2025
The Habs have made it pretty clear that they aren’t interested in making any big trades this season. But for what the Canadiens paid for Laine, keeping him doesn’t make much sense either. Montreal acquired him from the Blue Jackets last year.
But since then, the right-winger hasn’t been very productive. Not to mention, with his $8.5 million cap hit, he has been a big strain on the Habs’ cap space. The Canadiens are more than $5.9 million over their cap space.
They will also need to let go of some roster members to manage their finances. For that, Laine’s exit seems like the most likely move. He is already in the last year of his contract and will turn UFA next year.
Based on that, many suspect that instead of waiting for him to turn UFA, the Canadiens might look to make a mid-season trade for him. With him still being just 27, there is a high chance that the teams that were interested in him last year would again want to acquire him.
