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

[HabsAddict]

I believe they will try Laine with Dach and Newhook at first. Dach is way better at distributing the puck than Roslovic and Jenner atleast. We`ll see how the pre-season will shape the lines.

6 weeks ago we were worried how we going to add another top 6...

IF things work out...IF...now we have to worry how to work in 3 potential, POTENTIAL 40 goal scorers in CC, Laine and Demidov. Maybe a 4th one in Slaf.

I have high hopes in our defense, now also our offense.

(Back to taking my meds...)

 

[jonlin]

6 weeks ago we were worried how we going to add another top 6...

IF things work out...IF...now we have to worry how to work in 3 potential, POTENTIAL 40 goal scorers in CC, Laine and Demidov. Maybe a 4th one in Slaf.

I have high hopes in our defense, now also our offense.

(Back to taking my meds...)

If Dach and Laine stay healthy, there is actually a real chance for Montreal to fight for a playoff-spot this year. If remember correct Montreal had quite a few 1-goal defeats last season and thoose 2 could change that. Slafkovsky also was way better the second half of the season than at the start.

 

[Vapaatunnus]

I have to fall in the Great job by Waddell category…

This isn’t a slumping player anymore. He took no salary back, for a guy averaging 14 goals over the last 4 years, making $8.7 million for another 2 years…. And he got a serviceable player in return, who should settle into being a nice 5/6 with more experience and maturity.

Montreal is making a pretty large wager, Laine will return to Winnipeg form, and be able to deal with all the outside noise of playing in Montreal. If he doesn’t though, it’s not the end of the world. They’d likely just buy him out next summer.

One thing’s for sure. Montreal’s media and fans, won’t put up with a player making $625,000 per goal…. So getting off to a quick start is gonna be important for Laine.

That is cheap still.

 

[calder candidate]

As a mtl fan I wouldn’t even have proposed that trade because I feel like CBJ would have been offended…

Anyway complaining or trying to paint this trade as bad for Mtl is really out of there mind… Mtl as the cap space clearly expectations are lowed (he was a cap dump), Harris is good and everyone like him but wasn’t going to crack the lineup in MTL. The CBJ 2nd pick should be a early 2nd. Fantilli live with Laine for a while doubt they believe he was a cancer for there locker room and let there future franchise player around him that much, Vincent who was coaching with CBJ and even with the Jets is now with MTL they clearly did there homework and have got great info… MTL was desperately looking to improve their top 6.

If I was a CBJ fan I would be piss that we didn’t retain to get better value or more teams bidding… the team is suppose to be rebuilding and has plenty of cap space getting a better return is more valuable than a few M$ of cap that will waste away regardless…

 

[Kimota]

Laine is PL. Dubois is PLD. Sometime I confuse between PL and PLD.

Holly shit! Mind Blown.

 

[mattihp]

He had 0 chemistry with Voracek or Gaudreau. He needs a playmaking center and preferrable a big wing that digs the puck from the corners. Thats why it worked so well with Scheifele+Wheeler or in Finnish youth team with Aho+Puljujärvi. Suzuki+Slafkovsky would be the perfect option.

Moving Aho to center was a genius move. It probably elevated his whole career.

 

[mattihp]

That is cheap still.

View attachment 902064

Still angry about him getting number 11 so soon after Saku.

 

[HuGort]

Habs came within a hair of Zegras. Tried for Necas, then McGoarty. You knew after awhile we had to get one

 

[Walksss]

I think the Habs are playoff bound as long as they can stay reasonably healthy. This trade changes the season outlook on quite a few levels.

 

[jonlin]

I think the Habs are playoff bound as long as they can stay reasonably healthy. This trade changes the season outlook on quite a few levels.

If Laine + Dach stay healthy, they surely have a chance. Now they can actually roll a real Top6, not only 1 line. Slafkovsky also took a step further on the latter half of last season and will probably continue to get better. Habs PP have all the potential to be lethal this year.

 

[bobholly39]

Time to revisit the Laine vs Matthews comparisons.

 

[jonlin]

Time to revisit the Laine vs Matthews comparisons.

A few years late arent we?

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I like this move a lot for Montreal. Low risk high reward type of deal. Laine's unwillingness to start the year in Columbus really hurt the blue jackets.

I think the Habs are playoff bound as long as they can stay reasonably healthy. This trade changes the season outlook on quite a few levels.

I have some questions about their defense, as well as their center depth. They should be better, but they're still a ways away from being a playoff team.

 

[Plural]

Knew Laine had very low value but this is bit surprising even. Though no retention so that probably explains a lot.

He's now gone through a very broad recovery and rehabilitation process. Time will tell if it worked or not.

Laine has tools to be a good or even a bordering star-player. He just needs to be recognized as one. He's got severe limits in skating, defensive game and overall knowing where to be on the ice. But he has world class offensive instincts and especially as a scorer he has the tools to be a top-5 goal-scorer in the league.

I really hope he turns his career around and has a chance to play at a level he's capable of.

 

[SUX2BU]

Bring on the professor ……

 

[RationalExpectations]

As a MTL fan, I like the trade, go big or go home, not much to lose given limited need for cap space in the next two years.

That being said, if you look at the price of dumping salary right now, if Laine produces at a 0.5PPG and is useless defensively, this will be a major victory for CBJ to dump 8.7m for two years at no cost.

It s all on Laine now to prove if Hughes or Wadell wins that trade and to CBJ fans who don t know Harris, I think you re going to like him, he is the kind of guy who makes very few mistakes on the back end and has a good transition game.

 

[Zxlime]

Even though i'm not a big Laine fan, difficult not to like this move from the habs perspective

 

[TheCableGuy1]

I believe in Martin St-Louis.

 

[Demon Wolf]

Shame Hutson is a defenseman or we could've had

Laine on a line with Lane

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Shame Hutson is a defenseman or we could've had

Laine on a line with Lane

That could be a pretty common PP duo on the point.

Lane setting up Laine one timers for days...


PPG - Laine (Hutson, Suzuki) could be a pretty common sight on the score sheet.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Even though i'm not a big Laine fan, difficult not to like this move from the habs perspective

There's no reason not to. He could very easily score 30 goal 60 point pace, and the Habs could flip him with retention for some great assets. Considering he averaged a 35 goal 80 point pace during his last two full seasons in Columbus, that sort of pace should be extremely doable for him.

I honestly think he could be a 40+ goal guy in Montreal. Imagine the haul the Habs could get if they traded a guy like that at $4.5M to a contender at the deadline??

 

[Lazytrout]

I have to fall in the Great job by Waddell category…

This isn’t a slumping player anymore. He took no salary back, for a guy averaging 14 goals over the last 4 years, making $8.7 million for another 2 years…. And he got a serviceable player in return, who should settle into being a nice 5/6 with more experience and maturity.

Montreal is making a pretty large wager, Laine will return to Winnipeg form, and be able to deal with all the outside noise of playing in Montreal. If he doesn’t though, it’s not the end of the world. They’d likely just buy him out next summer.

One thing’s for sure. Montreal’s media and fans, won’t put up with a player making $625,000 per goal…. So getting off to a quick start is gonna be important for Laine.

You make it sound like he scored 14 on average over full seasons. If Laine stay healthy it's unlikely he doesn't get 30+, if he score 14 and get injured then it's bad luck. There's some risk factor for Montreal but not his goalscoring ability, it's the least of Laine's problems.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

Has the potential to outproduce peak Pacioretty.

 

[Favster]

Just remember. Uncle Double Dion told you about that Drouin trade you all loved too. This is not as bad, but still not good. The Habs should have stuck with their building program. The last thing they needed was a guy whose only use is firing one timers on the PP.

How can you compare this to the Drouin trade? Do you believe Jordan Harris is the same caliber player as Sergachev? This is a really bad post man, you should think twice about what you write on this site, it's a bad look

 

[behemolari]

Knew Laine had very low value but this is bit surprising even. Though no retention so that probably explains a lot.

He's now gone through a very broad recovery and rehabilitation process. Time will tell if it worked or not.

Laine has tools to be a good or even a bordering star-player. He just needs to be recognized as one. He's got severe limits in skating, defensive game and overall knowing where to be on the ice. But he has world class offensive instincts and especially as a scorer he has the tools to be a top-5 goal-scorer in the league.

I really hope he turns his career around and has a chance to play at a level he's capable of.

yet somehow when you watch his highlight reels they are full of clips where he skates away from opponents or through opponents