The Canadiens have traded for Patrik Laine from the Blue Jackets.
The Montreal Canadiens have traded for Patrik Laine and a 2026 second round pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jordan Harris.
While the Rangers didn’t necessarily express interest in Laine as far as we know, one NHL insider believed New York would have been the perfect fit for the young forward.
“They don’t have the cap space, but what about a team like the NYR? I could see [Laine] fitting on the right side. That would make a ton of sense to me,” The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said.
Laine’s $8.7 million cap hit was a big issue, most likely being the biggest reason the Rangers weren’t serious contenders in these sweepstakes.
The Canadiens reportedly retained Laine’s full salary, which is something the Rangers just couldn’t afford to do.
This past season, Laine recorded six goals, three assists and nine points in 18 games as he missed a large portion of the year.
New York comes into the 2024-25 season with a nearly identical roster to the one they had last year, aside from the additions of Reilly Smith and Sam Carrick.
