This year marks 10 years since the Winnipeg Jets drafted Patrik Laine second overall. Laine was drawing comparisons to NHL superstar and now all-time goal leader Alex Ovechkin, per Sportsnet and The Hockey Writers. If there were talk of the Calgary Flames looking at Laine five years ago—before the mass exodus—excitement would be incredibly high.
Unfortunately, both Laine and the Flames have fallen from grace over the last several years. Now, the Montreal Canadiens could look to move Laine as they prepare for the last stretch of the regular season and, hopefully, playoff action.
Let’s look at whether bringing in the 10-year NHL veteran makes sense for the Flames!
The Finnish sniper’s career, so far
Laine’s stock soared in his draft year. He had excellent showings in Finland’s Liiga and the 2016 World Junior Championship. As a 17-year-old, Laine scored 17 goals and 33 points in 46 games for the Tappara Tampere. He followed that up with a team-leading 10 goals and 15 points in 18 playoff games en route to a championship.
At the World Juniors, Laine tied Auston Matthews for the tournament lead in goals with seven in seven games. He added six assists for 13 points and was a key contributor in the gold medal game against Russia. Finland took home the gold, edging Russia 4–3 in overtime.
After his incredible draft year, Laine stepped right into the NHL and became a 30-goal scorer for the Jets. In his sophomore year, he reached the 40-goal mark and was looking every part of a franchise sniper. He scored 30 in his third year, but after 64 and 70-point seasons to begin his career, managed just 50 in 2018–19. In his fourth year—the shortened 2019–20 season—he scored 28 goals and 63 points in 68 games.
Since then, though, Laine’s career has gone off the rails and been marred by injuries. The Jets traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets early in the 2020–21 season. In the six seasons since, he has not played 60 games in a season. In the 2024 offseason, the Jackets traded Laine to the Habs with their own 2026 second-round pick for defenceman Jordan Harris. Laine scored 20 goals in 52 games for the Habs last season, but has only appeared in five games this year.
Why the Canadiens would move Laine
It might seem a bit strange that the Habs would move Laine, who was so effective for them last season. Of his 20 goals, 15 were scored on the power play. He was absolutely lethal with the man-advantage. With him expected to return ahead of the trade deadline, he could be a huge addition to one of the league’s best power plays. It’s like a free deadline acquisition. So, why would the Habs want to move him?
There are a couple of reasons I can see. First is his extensive injury history. Ignoring his several stints on injured reserve as a member of the Jets and Blue Jackets, Laine has found himself on the IR twice already in less than two years as a Hab. Regardless of what he could add to the lineup, he adds nothing to the lineup if he’s on the IR come playoff time. The organization will want to spend on players who will be available to help with their Stanley Cup pursuit.
I touched on the other reason in that last sentence: money. Laine is in the last year of his contract with a cap hit of $8.7M. The Habs are currently up tight against the NHL’s salary cap. If they want to bolster their lineup at the deadline, they need to move money out. In that respect, Laine’s contract is the most obvious choice. While the Habs might also be motivated to move Brendan Gallagher’s $6.5M or Josh Anderson’s $5.5M, both players are signed through next season.
It would be cheaper to convince someone to take Laine for the rest of this season than to take Gallagher or Anderson for this season and next.
Why the Flames should be that ‘someone’
It makes too much sense for the Flames to be the one who takes Laine on. According to Chris Johnston, to move Laine, the Habs will likely have to attach “some kind of piece of value,” retain salary, or a combination of both.
With the Flames being in rebiggle mode, it would be wise to take on Laine’s full contract—for a price. According to PuckPedia, the Flames currently have over $30.0M in cap space. Laine’s $8.7M hardly makes a dent in that. With Jonathan Huberdeau now on the shelf for an extended period and opening up a roster spot, it makes even more sense. Laine could slot into the top-six and showcase himself either for a new deal with the Flames or in preparation for free agency this summer.
The caveat, though, is that the Flames should only take him on if the Habs pay them to do so. After the Sean Monahan trade, I would love to see Craig Conroy return the favour to Kent Hughes. If I’m Conroy, my goal in this trade would be to get Montreal’s 2026 first-round pick to take on Laine’s full $8.7M cap hit. We’re doing them a favour, after all! I think this would be cathartic for the Flames fanbase, while bringing in a valuable asset.
Conroy would be wise to weaponize the Flames’ cap space at this year’s deadline. He should be using it as an asset to acquire picks and prospects in exchange for bad contracts, especially those that expire at the end of the year. Laine fits the bill; make it happen!
