The Canadiens have done a great job these days.
They’ve acquired their number-one right-handed defenseman and a very important player in the middle of the lineup. They still need a second-line center, however.
Could Patrik Laine, among others, be shopped for a center? Mathias Brunet has the impression that the Habs are shopping him around.
We’ve heard rumors that both sides are talking contract extension.
The Finn will be in his last contracted season and on July 1 will become a free agent. I don’t think he’ll be coming back to Montreal, and like Brunet, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got traded.
A team like the San Jose Sharks might be interested in his services (his contract) to reach the salary floor. Maybe Hughes could do a two-in-one deal and include Carey Price’s contract as well… That would take close to $20 million off the Montreal payroll.
That would be a big coup! Unfortunately, there aren’t many big names left on the free agent market.
But maybe by freeing up that much money, there’ll be room to acquire a player via trade. You know, there’s an $8.7 million player in Pittsburgh who could be on the Habs’ books…
To conclude on Laine, I wouldn’t be disappointed if he were to stay in the metropolis.
After all, despite his shortcomings, he was an important forward and without him last year, Montreal wouldn’t have made the playoffs. He scored 20 times in 52 games in 2024-2025.
