Confirmed Trade: [MTL/CBJ] Patrik Laine, '26 2nd for Jordan Harris

[MoneyManny]

LOL
$8.7 million AAV and nobody has expectations for him?

Yeah Ok

8.7 mil AAV for 2 years to a team that's not contending yet isn't a big deal i think? It's not like Molson is strapped for cash to pay his players with.

I think he likely gets traded at the TDL with retention before his contract runs out and might get a really nice return if he played well, like Monahan. Anything else is pure gravy. That's my expectation for him as one Habs fan anyway.

 

[Silky Johnson]

D-Wad got fleeced. But it's not his doing, the player wanted out before he came in.

Disagree. You know the old saying "who ever does not get Patrick Laine wins the trade". Montreal got Laine....

 

[Marioesque]

Disagree. You know the old saying "who ever does not get Patrick Laine wins the trade". Montreal got Laine....

There's really no risk for MTL here.

 

[Hunter368]

IMO

CBJ

- Dumped Laine full big contract
- Got Harris (3rd pairing cheap D)


Habs

- Gamble on Laine increasing his value, which is very low at the moment.
- 2nd rd pick
- Hope that he returns his value some, retain on his cap hit next year to trade him at the TDL for a 1st++
- Will be interesting to see how Laine handles the media & fans

Reasonable trade for both sides, CBJ dumped a big contact (small market doesn’t mind dumping that cap cost) & a player whose value is low and got some assets for him. Habs gamble on Laine returning to form and plan to trade (retained) him next year for 1st++.

 

[Kimota]

Everything is going according to plan. Now let's trade Laine to Washington for Dubois.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

After the Drouin debacle, it is nice not to be on the receiving end of wasted assets.

If he can get his house in order, Laine may be a nice asset for Montreal. If not, well no big deal. We got a second for Harris.

 

[Double Dion]

Brother do me a favour and search my post history for “Drouin” real quick, I f***ing hate him and hated that trade

Doesn't change the fact that Habs fans loved it at the time. This one isn't as bad because you aren't giving up a top prospect. It's a waste of cap space on a player who helps you lose instead of win. Take a look at Laine's goals against per 60 at ES and then tell me how good a trade this is.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

IMO

CBJ

- Dumped Laine full big contract
- Got a 2nd rd pick and Harris (3rd pairing cheap D), would be rough value overall combined a late 1st or close to it.


Habs

- Gamble on Laine increasing his value, which is very low at the moment.
- Hope that he returns his value some, retain on his cap hit next year to trade him at the TDL for a 1st++

Reasonable trade for both sides, CBJ dumped a big contact (small market doesn’t mind dumping that cap cost) & a player whose value is low and got some assets for him. Habs gamble on Laine returning to form and plan to trade (retained) him next year for 1st++.

Not that I disagree with your analysis, I think CBJ needed to make that trade and salvage the situation, but you got the pick mixed up. Montreal is getting the 2nd rounder.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Doesn't change the fact that Habs fans loved it at the time. This one isn't as bad because you aren't giving up a top prospect. It's a waste of cap space on a player who helps you lose instead of win. Take a look at Laine's goals against per 60 at ES and then tell me how good a trade this is.

I’ve been very vocal about not wanting Laine also, please stop replying to me lmao

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Two of Gallagher, Anderson or Armia going on the waiver wire next month.

Unless a Dvorak trade can be worked out.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Doesn't change the fact that Habs fans loved it at the time. This one isn't as bad because you aren't giving up a top prospect. It's a waste of cap space on a player who helps you lose instead of win. Take a look at Laine's goals against per 60 at ES and then tell me how good a trade this is.

Oh no how will we ever handle losing during a rebuild

 

[Double Dion]

Again, the point was you already have Caufield and Slafkovsky to do the only thing Laine does productively. Laine is only in the NHL for his 3/4 one timer.

 

[MikeK]

That market is going to eat this guy alive. The only other landing spot I can think of that would be similar yet worse would be Toronto. I hope I'm wrong but I don't see this going well at all.

 

[Double Dion]

Oh no how will we ever handle losing during a rebuild

MTL should be starting to come out of a rebuild. Not adding another one dimensional winger for makes almost 9M per.

 

[Hunter368]

Not that I disagree with your analysis, I think CBJ needed to make that trade and salvage the situation, but you got the pick mixed up. Montreal is getting the 2nd rounder.

Yup I fixed it thx

 

[jj cale]

It doesn't get any bigger or better than Montreal, i want to believe that we'll see the best out of Laine. And never, i mean never, play him as a center.

At this point i think it's safe to say that he is not the easiest person, and i hope he looks in the mirror before flying to Montreal. I hope they don't expect another Saku there

I think he was worth the risk, we gave up f*** all to acquire him really.

If his head is screwed on straight..........I think we are going to get some good hockey out of him and he will help this teams offense and man do we need more offense.

 

[frederixx]

Montreal has now four 1st round picks, five 2nd round picks and five 3rd round picks in the next 3 drafts.

Holysh**.

You can't keep them, that's for sure. I bet they will start dealing them as soon as next draft. They are already the team that have drafted the most picks within the last 5 years

2025
1st round pick - Montréal
1st round pick - Montréal (from Calgary - Monahan trade)
2nd round pick - Montréal
2nd round pick - Montréal (from Pittsburgh - Petry trade)
3rd round pick - Montréal
3rd round pick - Montréal (from Vancouver - DeSmith trade)
3rd round pick - Montréal (from New Jersey - Allen trade)
4th round pick - Montréal
4th round pick - Montréal (from Detroit or from Detroit via Boston - Petry trade)
5th round pick - Montréal
6th round pick - Montréal
7th round pick - Montréal

2026
1st round pick - Montréal
2nd round pick - Montréal
2nd round pick - Montréal (from Columbus Laine trade)
3rd round pick - Montréal
4th round pick - Montréal
4th round pick - Montréal (from New Jersey or New Jersey via Dallas or New Jersey via Winnipeg - Kovacevic trade)
5th round pick - Montréal
6th round pick - Montréal
7th round pick - Montréal

 

[Silky Johnson]

There's really no risk for MTL here.

But they got Laine...

There is also no upside. They are terrible and will not make the playoffs. If he is bad, they just have a shitty distraction of a player to poorly influence their young guys.

If he is good, they still finish outside the playoffs with a worse pick. Then maybe he hypnotises Hughes into resigning him just to suck again.

But that's not going to happen because he sucks.

 

[Double Dion]

I’ve been very vocal about not wanting Laine also, please stop replying to me lmao

You replied to me with "good one" when I said MTL should not have done this.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

You replied to me with "good one" when I said MTL should not have done this.

No actually what you said was “horrific for MTL” which is just objectively not true even if I didn’t want Laine

Habs got paid to take him

 

[CBJx614]

That 2nd is almost a first, too..

Laine when healthy is a lock for 30g 60 points.

Amazing use of cap space by Hughes. Everytime

That second is 2 years away. We have no idea what that'll be.

 

[VainGretzky]

You can't keep them, that's for sure. I bet they will start dealing them as soon as next draft. They are already the team that have drafted the most picks within the last 5 years

2025
1st round pick - Montréal
1st round pick - Montréal (from Calgary - Monahan trade)
2nd round pick - Montréal
2nd round pick - Montréal (from Pittsburgh - Petry trade)
3rd round pick - Montréal
3rd round pick - Montréal (from Vancouver - DeSmith trade)
3rd round pick - Montréal (from New Jersey - Allen trade)
4th round pick - Montréal
4th round pick - Montréal (from Detroit or from Detroit via Boston - Petry trade)
5th round pick - Montréal
6th round pick - Montréal
7th round pick - Montréal

2026
1st round pick - Montréal
2nd round pick - Montréal
2nd round pick - Montréal (from Columbus Laine trade)
3rd round pick - Montréal
4th round pick - Montréal
4th round pick - Montréal (from New Jersey or New Jersey via Dallas or New Jersey via Winnipeg - Kovacevic trade)
5th round pick - Montréal
6th round pick - Montréal
7th round pick - Montréal

That Calgary pick could end up being 1st overall wow

 

[ponder]

If this hits, it could be like when Montreal got Kovalev for nothing-ish, and had him revitalize his career there, except Laine is only 26, while Kovalev was 31 when Montreal acquired him. I doubt Laine is ever going to improve on his weaknesses (skating, defensive play, general compete level), he just doesn't seem to have the mentality to take his game to the next level, but even if he can just get back to where he was playing ~2 years ago, this is a major win for Montreal. That certainly seems possible, he's still a huge dude with one of the hardest shots in the league, and nice hands. If he does find his game again in Montreal, I could certainly see there being an extension too - by this point Laine has to realize that if he can find a legit NHL home, he should stay there.

If this misses, and Laine is useless (injured, or playing poorly, or a locker room cancer, or ...), the downside is really not THAT bad. They're only committing to 2 years, and wasting cap space isn't a big deal as Montreal aren't going to be a top team anyways over the next 2 years. I'd say Harris is worth at most an early 2nd, so they got Laine for essentially nothing but being willing to take on his contract, which is again not that high risk given there's only 2 years remaining.

 

[WeThreeKings]

MTL should be starting to come out of a rebuild. Not adding another one dimensional winger for makes almost 9M per.

We are alleviating a log jam on our left side defense, getting an additional asset (2nd round pick) and a chance to do a reclamation project.

We have another transition year here while we get out from the last of Bergevins contracts and will still have plenty of cap space.

This does not hamstring us in any way.

 

[pth2]

Is Harris considered any good? I watched him a bit as a college player but never kept super close eyes on him. I imagine he was probably a bit redundant with Montreal being deep on PMD prospects with guys like Hutson, Mailloux, Reinbacher

He's ok. Likely never a strong top 4, but could be in the top 4 in a complementary role.