Montreal Canadiens Face Patrik Laine Dilemma as Trade Deadline Nears
The Montreal Canadiens are finally getting healthier, with key players like Kirby Dach and Jake Evans making their way back into the lineup. But as bodies return, one major question continues to loom large over the team: What’s the plan for Patrik Laine?
It’s a fair question-and one that head coach Martin St. Louis seems more than a little tired of answering.
Ahead of Montreal’s win over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, St. Louis was asked once again about Laine’s status.
His response was short and to the point: he can only coach the players who are healthy. Until he hears from director of sports medicine Jim Ramsay that Laine is cleared to return, it’s a waiting game.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” he said.
But here’s the issue: Montreal can’t really afford to wait much longer.
The Catch-22 with Laine
The Canadiens would like to move Laine before the trade deadline. That much is clear. But they can’t trade him if he doesn’t play, and they can’t play him without disrupting a lineup that’s finally clicking.
Laine is built to be a Top-6 forward. That’s where he’s most effective, where he can be the sniper teams covet.
The problem? The current top-six is humming, and the one player Laine might realistically replace-Alexandre Texier-has been excellent since arriving in Montreal.
Texier’s chipped in seven goals and ten assists in 30 games, and more importantly, he’s brought stability and two-way play to a lineup that’s needed it.
So what do you do? Remove Texier and risk messing with the chemistry that’s helped turn the Habs into a more competitive team? Or keep Laine out and tank whatever trade value he still holds?
That’s the dilemma St. Louis is facing-and why his frustration is showing. He’s finally getting production up and down the lineup, and now he’s being asked to potentially disrupt that rhythm just to showcase a player who might not even stick around.
A Risky Trade Chip
From a front office perspective, general manager Kent Hughes is stuck in a tight spot. Laine has played just five games this season and only 75 total since the start of the 2023-24 campaign due to a string of injuries. That’s not exactly a strong résumé for a team hoping to get value in return.
But when Laine is healthy, he’s still a threat. Last season, he scored 20 goals in 52 games, added 13 assists, and posted a sharp 17.2% shooting percentage. That kind of efficiency doesn’t go unnoticed, even if it’s wrapped in a package that hasn’t stayed on the ice consistently.
The challenge is that Laine’s trade value isn’t just about his numbers-it’s about perception. Right now, he’s viewed as a high-risk, high-reward player. And in the NHL, that usually means the return won’t be anything close to what a team would hope for a former No. 2 overall pick with elite scoring potential.
Showcasing him for five or ten games might not even move the needle much. Teams know what Laine is: a gifted scorer who struggles with durability. But if Hughes wants to extract anything meaningful in a deal, he needs to give teams a reason to believe Laine is ready to contribute now-not just in theory, but in practice.
Clock Is Ticking
With the Olympic break approaching, the Canadiens are running out of time to make a move. The longer Laine sits, the louder the questions get-not just from media, but likely inside the room as well. It’s the kind of situation that can become a distraction, even for a team that’s handled adversity well this season.
At some point, a decision has to be made. Either Laine gets back on the ice and into the rotation, or the Canadiens have to accept a diminished return and move on. There’s no easy answer, but one thing’s certain: waiting much longer isn’t doing anyone any favors.
For now, Montreal’s playing well, and St. Louis is doing what he can with the group he has.
But the Laine question isn’t going away. And until it’s answered, it’ll hang over the Canadiens like a cloud-one that could start to block out the sunshine of a promising second half.