Patrik Laine is the kind of bet the Ottawa Senators could actually afford to make.
As the Senators try to move up another rung in the playoffs in 2026-27, Laine stands out as a low-risk, high-reward option - a scorer whose best days are behind him, but whose finishing touch could still fit neatly into Ottawa’s plans. The Finnish winger, taken second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 Draft, barely played last season because of injury. He appeared in just five games for the Montreal Canadiens and finished with one assist, though he said after the season that he could have been back as early as after the New Year.
That’s a steep drop for a player who opened his NHL career with 140 goals and 250 points in his first 306 games. His stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets never really took off, with 64 goals in 174 games, and Montreal didn’t give him the rebound he needed either, even if he did manage 20 goals in 52 games in 2024-25.
Still, a fresh start might be exactly what Laine needs. Ottawa could be the right landing spot if the Senators want to add another finishing weapon without blowing up their roster.
What makes Laine appealing is simple: he scores goals, and he owns a shot that most players in the league just don’t have. He’s not a complete, all-situations player, but that isn’t really the point here. For a Senators team that already has a strong mix of scorers, playmakers and physical players, another goal source would be a welcome luxury.
Ottawa finished last season eighth in the league in goals scored and 13th in goals against. The biggest question mark remains goaltending, but the rest of the group looks ready to be dangerous again. If the Senators are serious about getting past the first round and establishing themselves among the league’s toughest teams, more offense is the obvious way to help get there.
Laine’s last full NHL season, when he scored 20 goals, would have ranked sixth on Ottawa last year. Stretch that same pace over a full 84-game season in 2026-27, and he’d be on pace for 32 goals - enough to finish second on the Senators last season, behind Drake Batherson and ahead of Tim Stützle by one goal. That kind of production, especially from a player who can help on the power play and spend most of his shifts in the offensive zone, could be exactly the kind of edge Ottawa is looking for.
There’s also the financial angle, and that may be where this gets interesting for the Senators. Laine is still unsigned in late August, and his market has shrunk enough that he may need to accept something close to the league minimum if he wants to keep his NHL career rolling. The deal would likely have to be loaded with bonuses.
That kind of structure would make sense for Ottawa. The Senators could build in incentives tied to goals and games played, with markers at 10, 20, 30 and even 40 goals, plus appearance bonuses at 50, 60, 70 or 80 games. With the cap expected to rise by around $10 million next year and Ottawa having just over $4 million in space this season, the club has room to take on a bonus-heavy arrangement.
Laine is coming off an $8.7 million annual contract, so if Ottawa can bring him in cheaply and give him a path to earn more through performance, it could end up being a smart arrangement for both sides.