The Canadiens didn’t spend the summer watching their roster get stripped apart. Most of the core is already locked in for the years ahead, so the list of departures is short. But a few players who finished last season in Montreal have already moved on, and one big name is still hanging out on the open market.
Patrik Laine is the one that jumps off the page. He remains unsigned, even though his shot is still one of the most dangerous in hockey.
Montreal didn’t get the season it hoped for from the former second overall pick. Injuries kept interrupting his year, and the consistency never really came together, but the flashes were there - the kind that remind everyone he has already gone past the 40-goal mark in the NHL.
That’s what makes Laine such an interesting free agent. Nobody is wondering whether he can score.
The real issue is whether a team wants to bet on him after the recent injury problems and uneven production. The most likely landing spot now looks like a one-year “prove-it” contract for not much money.
For a club that wants scoring punch without a long-term commitment, that’s a tempting swing. If Laine gets back to form, he could end up as one of the best bargain signings of the summer.
If he doesn’t, the team can simply walk away after a year. Several teams in need of extra offense could still make sense before camps open.
Joe Veleno didn’t wait around nearly as long. He signed a one-year deal with the New York Rangers worth $1.2 million, and the fit looks pretty straightforward. He projects as a fourth-line center who can slide to the wing when needed, bringing speed, penalty-killing value and a steady defensive game.
The Rangers want more from the bottom of their lineup, and Veleno will get a real shot to win a regular spot in training camp. Nothing is guaranteed, but that’s been the theme for most of his NHL career.
Montreal, meanwhile, had a clear reason to let him go. Younger forwards are pushing, prospects are ready, and the Canadiens had other priorities.
Two other depth pieces also found new homes. Marc Del Gaizo signed a two-way deal with the Rangers organization, while Samuel Blais landed a two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators organization.
Blais brings the kind of traits teams always seem to need: physicality, experience and versatility. Whether he spends most of the season in Ottawa or with the Belleville Senators in the AHL, he gives that organization a dependable option if injuries hit at the NHL level.
Del Gaizo gives New York more blue-line depth and should see plenty of AHL minutes while staying in the mix for a call-up during the season.
None of those moves will reshape an NHL roster on their own, but they’re the sort of signings teams make every summer for a reason. Over 82 games, injuries pile up, and experienced depth can matter more than people expect.
For Montreal, letting those players go also opens the door a little wider for younger talent. Prospects with the Laval Rocket now have more ice time available and a clearer path to NHL jobs if their development keeps trending up.
So while the Canadiens’ summer departures were modest, they still tell the same story: stability at the top, room for the next wave underneath, and Laine still waiting to see what comes next.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Are Still Waiting On One Martin St-Louis Decision
The Canadiens are still waiting on Martin St-Louis to put pen to paper on the contract extension many around the team expected to be a formality by mid-July. It is a little out of step with how Montreal has handled coaching business in the past, especially after the club moved quickly on extensions in 2022 and 2024, but there has been no official sign of trouble as the front office and head coach keep carrying on as usual.
Even so, the longer the decision lingers, the more natural it is for outside speculation to creep in about where things stand. For now, the mood around the situation remains positive, and there is nothing to suggest the Canadiens view this as anything more than a delay in getting a deal done. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Trade Talk Suddenly Fits The Plan Fans Have Debated All Summer
The Canadiens summer of roster debate has mostly centered on one familiar question: how does Kent Hughes add more speed, skill and flexibility without crowding the young core already in place? That is why the latest trade chatter has such an easy fit in Montreal, with the focus landing on players who could slide into different spots up front and give the lineup a little more punch if the right deal comes along.
What makes the conversation interesting is that the options being discussed all bring something a little different to the table, from centre-wing versatility to a more direct scoring threat. Hughes has shown a willingness to keep looking for moves that match the teams long-term plan, and this is the kind of speculation that naturally gets fans talking because it feels less like a random rumor and more like the sort of swing Montreal has been waiting to make. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Let A Real Free Agency Chance Quietly Slip Away
Anthony Manthas offseason market offered a small window into how the Canadiens are approaching free agency under Kent Hughes. Mantha said Montreal did talk with him, which fits with a team that has been willing to explore options, but also one that has been selective about where it spends its money and what kind of player it wants to add.
Mantha was looking for a longer-term commitment, and Montreal never got comfortable enough with the fit to keep pushing. Hughes has made it clear the Canadiens are not interested in forcing a move just to say they were active, and this was another example of that caution shaping the roster, even if it meant letting a recognizable name move on. [Read more 🡒]