The Montreal Canadiens have long had an issue when it comes to secondary scoring. Last summer, they were hoping to address those woes by adding a former 40-goal scorer to the fold. Patrik Laine was acquired by the Canadiens along with a second-round pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenceman Jordan Harris. The Canadiens took on Laine’s entire $8.7 million cap hit for two years. Now headed into the final season of that deal, it’s unclear where he fits in the group. Let’s analyze where the Finnish niper Patrik Laine fits in Montreal’s lineup.
Middle-Six Role in Question
After being acquired last season, there were high expectations for Laine. However, an early preseason knee injury limited him to only 52 games last season. Laine was productive in those games, however, posting 33 points, including 20 goals. Despite his solid totals, Laine was a ghost at 5-on-5, being solely effective on the power play. The Canadiens also found difficulties finding someone to play with him as he didn’t form any immediate chemistry with any forward on the roster.
Due to a lack of depth, Laine was still a lock to be in the top six last year. However, Montreal has added forward Zack Bolduc via trade, as well as rookie Ivan Demidov, who will be a full-time roster player in 2025-26. This means that Laine’s spot on the team’s second line is now in jeopardy. His training camp performance likely dictates whether he or Bolduc will snag the top-six role. If Laine loses the battle, he will probably begin the season on the team’s third line with Alex Newhook and Joe Veleno or Oliver Kapanen at centre.
Second Power Play Unit
Laine’s bread and butter throughout his career has been the power play. Last season emphasized this point as 15 of his 20 tallies came on the man advantage. Despite him being a one-dimensional, power-play specialist, it’s unlikely that Laine will begin on the top unit this season. During the team’s playoff series against Washington, Laine went down with an injury and Demidov took his spot on the PP. The new look unit featuring Demidov, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Juraj Slafkovsky was nothing short of dynamic. With those five being the future core of the Canadiens, the chances are that they will begin the year together and begin to build chemistry.
Laine’s shot makes him a threat at all times in the power play. However, his decision-making and puck movement were often sloppy last season. This led to many plays dying on his stick and resulting in a lack of momentum on many power-play opportunities. Despite this, having that X-Factor on the second unit will be a luxury. Montreal will now have two solid powerplay units, which they haven’t had in years. With Noah Dobson quarterbacking the unit, Laine would still have an elite puck mover to feed him in his office.
Potential Cap Dump
The truth is that this season is Laine’s last opportunity to prove himself as a long-term option for Montreal. After last season, he doesn’t appear to be the middle-six option that the Canadiens need moving forward. Training camp and the beginning of the year will be crucial for Laine to prove that he can be a useful and consistent player, even at five-on-five play.
Montreal may consider moving on from Laine and his massive cap hit as soon as this summer. A team like San Jose or Chicago could afford to take on all of that contract, and the Habs have plenty of picks to toss in to make a deal go through. With plenty of young guys pushing for roster spots and the potential of clearing almost 9 million off the books ahead of the trade deadline, the Canadiens may be best off moving on from Patrik Laine.
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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