The Montreal Canadiens had a quiet trade deadline. Despite being in the thick of the playoff race, general manager Kent Hughes decided not to make a major move. One of the biggest storylines surrounding the team leading up to the deadline was the future of Patrik Laine.
Rumours had circulated for weeks about a potential trade, but in the end, Laine remained with the Canadiens. With the deadline now behind them, the big question becomes clear: what comes next for Laine in Montreal?
Laine Was Not Traded
When Laine joined the Canadiens, there was some intrigue around what he could bring to the lineup. At his best, he is one of the league’s purest goal scorers, capable of changing a game with a single shot. However, his time in Montreal never really developed the way many expected.
Injuries certainly played a role. Laine spent time on the sidelines this season and struggled to stay consistently available. Even when healthy, though, it never truly felt like he was part of the Canadiens’ long-term plans. Montreal has been building around its young core, and Laine often looked like a temporary piece rather than a central one.
As the trade deadline approached, speculation began to grow that the Canadiens could move him. Several teams were mentioned in rumours, particularly clubs with cap space looking to take a chance on a talented but inconsistent scorer. However, moving Laine was never going to be easy.
His contract and inconsistent play made him a complicated asset. For Montreal, the key question became whether it was worth paying a price just to move him. In the end, the Canadiens chose not to force a deal. Hughes and the front office were reportedly unwilling to attach significant assets simply to clear Laine’s contract.
Because of that, Laine remained in Montreal past the deadline. Instead of being moved to a new team, he will likely finish the season with the Canadiens before heading toward free agency this summer.
Will He Play for the Canadiens Again?
While Laine is still technically part of the Canadiens roster, his role with the team has become increasingly unclear. Before the Olympic break, he was dealing with an injury that kept him out of the lineup. When the season resumed, he was healthy, but still not in the lineup.
Since the trade deadline, Laine has yet to appear in a game. At the same time, the Canadiens have gotten healthier. Several players who had been sidelined earlier in the season returned to the lineup, creating a situation where Montreal simply has more forwards than available spots. With the team pushing for a playoff position, head coach Martin St. Louis has leaned on the players who have been contributing the most consistently. That has left Laine on the outside looking in.
It is entirely possible that he remains in the press box for the rest of the season. Montreal has found combinations that work, and when a team is battling for playoff positioning, coaches often hesitate to make unnecessary changes.
Related: Canadiens Made a Mistake by Signing Alexandre Texier to an Early Extension
That said, the door is not completely closed. Injuries are always a possibility, especially during the final stretch of the season. If the Canadiens lose a winger or find themselves needing an offensive spark, Laine could still get another opportunity. After all, his scoring ability remains undeniable. Even if his overall fit with the team has been questionable, he still possesses a shot that can change the outcome of a game.
What Comes Next?
Looking beyond the remainder of this season, it is difficult to imagine Laine remaining in Montreal long-term. Sometimes in the NHL, a player and a team simply are not the right match. That appears to be the case here. From the beginning, Laine’s style and situation never seemed to fully align with what the Canadiens were building.
Montreal has been focused on developing its young core and building a fast, structured team. Players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovský and others represent the future of the organization. In that context, Laine often felt more like a short-term experiment than a true piece of the rebuild.
Now, with the trade deadline passed and the offseason approaching, the most likely outcome is that both sides move on. Laine will likely test free agency this summer, giving him a chance to find a new opportunity elsewhere. For the Canadiens, his departure would simply represent the end of a brief chapter that never fully came together.
