Patrik Laine is still out there, still unsigned for next season, and the list of teams tied to him hasn’t exactly been short.
Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette reports that the 28-year-old forward remains on the market, with the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and more recently the Philadelphia Flyers all linked to him since free agency opened. Laine’s recent injury troubles are part of the story too, and he was limited to just five games last season.
There’s still a path for a team to take a swing without fully committing. One idea floated is a $1 million deal loaded with bonuses for games played, goals, and points.
That kind of setup makes sense for a player whose value is tied almost entirely to offense, because Laine is really only a fit in a top-six role. Even with that, one source said he may not land a contract before the offseason ends.
The fit questions are real, and not every club mentioned feels equally plausible. Zurkowsky noted the Rangers make sense given how much their offense struggled last season, while the Wild and Lightning seem unlikely. The Flyers, meanwhile, would have to decide whether Laine fits with coach Rick Tocchet.
David Alter of The Hockey News sees Toronto as another possible landing spot, and he frames Laine as a low-risk, high-reward gamble for the Maple Leafs. The selling points are obvious: scoring, power-play production, and the chance to bring in a shooter on a low-salary, bonus-heavy contract. Alter also pointed out that Laine can still fire the puck and put up power-play numbers.
The drawbacks are just as clear. He’s a health risk, he doesn’t add much on the defensive side, and Alter described him as “a one-trick pony.”
Still, if Toronto were to take the chance, he could slide into the top six, work on the second power-play unit, and maybe give them a 20-plus goal season. And if it doesn’t click, Alter wrote that his contract should be easy to move or bury.
Montreal’s Sam Montembeault is facing a different kind of uncertainty, but the theme is similar: a change of scenery might be needed.
Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette wrote that Montembeault had a terrible season last year, and while some believe Jacob Fowler isn’t ready yet and should begin the year in the AHL with Montembeault serving as backup to Jakob Dobes, Kelly argues the Canadiens should be looking to move on from Montembeault. He believes Fowler would give Montreal a better chance to win than Montembeault, and says that should be the priority.
Montembeault is in the final year of his deal at $3.15 million, and Kelly raised the question of whether there’s still a team looking for goaltending help that would be willing to give him a shot. There have already been goalie trades this offseason, but his future remains open.
In Other News...
Canadiens May Have Found A Trade Fit In Calgarys Rebuild
The Canadiens spent much of the offseason looking at ways to add another forward, and Calgarys situation has naturally come into focus as the Flames continue to reshape their roster. One player drawing interest is a center who just put together a career-best season with 22 goals and 43 points, a kind of production that stands out even more on a team in transition. For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: a player still in a useful age range, coming off his best year, and potentially available as Calgary retools.
What makes the possibility more intriguing is the timing. The Flames are in rebuild mode, which can open the door to moves that help both sides, especially when a player is approaching a key contract decision and may not be part of the long-term plan. For the Canadiens, the question is whether this becomes a true trade fit before the 2026-27 season, or just another name that makes sense on paper while the market sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Roy Just Stirred Up A Canadiens Dream Fans Still Feel
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Roy attended as an ambassador for the Canadiens organization, which is enough to keep the old dreams alive in Montreal even without any fresh movement behind the scenes. Fans will keep connecting those dots as long as he keeps showing up in team circles, but for now there is still no official sign that a reunion is actually on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Loom In A Young Star Contract Squeeze
Connor Bedards new contract has already started to ripple through the NHLs next wave of negotiations, and Montreal has reason to watch closely. The deal establishes a fresh benchmark for young stars, which matters for a Canadiens team that still has cap space and could be positioned to make use of market shifts involving the leagues brightest rising forwards.
Cutter Gauthier and Adam Fantilli are among the players whose next contracts are expected to be shaped by Bedards number, and that creates a potential squeeze for teams trying to keep their young talent in line. For Montreal, the intrigue is less about what has happened than what might follow, since no offer sheets or trades have surfaced yet, but the combination of cap room and an unsettled market keeps the Canadiens in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]