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

[Viqsi]

Yeah, it just seems a bit strange to me as MTL isn’t good enough where Laine will bolster them for a strong season nor are they bad enough where you’d want a decent player or two so your young guys with potential aren’t playing with 3rd liners and spare parts on the 1st line. Maybe I’m mistaken but I think Montreal has enough talent where they can bounce off of each other and don’t really need a talent injection into the lineup. I don’t think it’s a bad move but it’s more of a “meh, why?” move to me. It’s possible they really put it together and take a huge step forward this year though, I suppose.

At some point you need to let the kids have room to grow in a team that isn't just losing and losing and losing. The gamble makes sense to me. It's one I'd have preferred we get to make, but, well, he apparently wasn't going to stay.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

If they are a dumpster fire, their first round pick will be high and second will be low. Snake draft right?

That’s, not how it works. Pretty sure you know that also.

 

[HuGo Sham]

what happens if Flames pick top 10 picks

It's a confusing set of conditions, but basically the only way habs can pick in the top 10 with that pick - is if both Calgary and Florida both end up in the bottom 10 of the league. Mtl has the lower of those two picks.

e.g so if florida drafts 26th and Calgary drafts 8th - flames cede the panther pick to Montreal

 

[Canadienna]

Habs haven't had a 40 goal scorer in 30 damn years.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1825656679255757268

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Habs haven't had a 40 goal scorer in 30 damn years.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1825656679255757268

Someone tell him he may have to...ya know...work for it.

Maybe having a team pay to dump you is the kick in the ass he needs. Who knows. Still expect to see more floating out there. One of the most feeble NHLers I've ever seen in more ways than one.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Even when we're past the cap freeze, teams still have to move picks when trading useful forwards? I just don't get it.

 

[BB88]

I bet this thread will be brought up multiple times during the season and be a good laugh in 12 months time

 

[jfhabs]

So Habs got their savior? Great to have someone who the young guys can look up to, and learn how to break out from teams.

Dont understand this move, didnt understand the Tavares move either where Leafs was at the time., and Tavares was a productive C back then

Laine is a project right know and that cap even för 2 years is really a bad signal för the group. Doesnt move the needle either..

Suzuki Caufield Slafkovsky Guhle are all signed long term already. I don't see the parallel with Tavares who was brought in a year before resigning their young core.

Don't think it's the best fit and he's the Savior, but we got paid to take him... It's worth the risk because it's only 2 years.

 

[bud12]

I mean Slaf is.a complete unknown at this point, Suzuki is not a 1c on a playoff team and Dach and Newhook are reclamation projects at this point Laine is a stud and I think Demidov will be as well but let's be real look at top teams and their top sizes. Teams like the oilers, nucks, bolts Avs have multiple 100 point players.

Love the trade but him next to Dach this year doesn't look great, at least play your best winger and player with the top centre option.
Why would Caufield get that spot?

What the hell is that??? Suzuki is definitely a 1c on a playoff team. Dach and Newhook arent reclamation project anymore. They showed what they could do on a top6 role. The key point for them is to stay healthy like Laine. Out of the 4 team you listed, only 2 had multiple 100pts players this year. And Caufield have been better than Laine in the last 2 season and his line with Slaf/Zuk have been in fire so why would they change that?

 

[Ducks]

Really happy that Montreal fans have something to focus on now other than Zegras.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Then a bunch of convoluted shit happens.

Maurice I have a question

Is the color orange named after the fruit, or is the fruit named after the color?

 

[CDN24]

They already have Cole Canfield who has been a good fit with Suzuki and Slaf. I think Laine will be on the second line with Kirby Dach as his centre.

And Newhook on the other wing, all three of Hughes acquisitions. I f you look at the net cost of those trades from when Kent took over. He turned Alex Romanov, Ben Chiarot, Jordan Harris and a 3rd round pick into Dach- Newhook- Laine.

Trades Chiarot for a 1st, 4th and spare parts.
Trades Romanov and a 4th for a 1st
Trades that 1st and a 3rd for Dach.
Trades the Chiarot 1st and a 2nd for Newhook.
Trades Harris for Laine and a 2nd.

The 2nds and 4ths offset. net is Chiarot, Romanov, Harris and the 3rd that went to Hawks.

I wonder if Kent will go help me negotiate the purchase of a new car, Seems pretty good at this. I'm sure he can turn a 6 year old truck and an 11 yr old civic into Lambo for me.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I wonder what kinda shape physically he is in. He was never a burner. Hope for his sake he put in the work, not on call of duty though

 

[BlueSeal]

LET'S GO HABS!!

 

[Double Dion]

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

What would you call giving away 17.5M in cap space and getting basically a 3rd round pick in value back? I'd want a 1st for that kind of cap space. Heck, you got a 1st for taking 6.3M back. This is 3 times that.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

lol Columbus had to dump Laine. but that cant be right. i was told Laine had huge value

Worst type of post on HfB I swear

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Lmfao, the Jets seriously did win this trade after all.

LA has Kuemper to show.
Columbus has Jordan Harris and a draft pick (4th 2026)
Winnipeg has Vilardi, Iafallo, Kupari, Zhilkin and Freij (I also expect us to trade Vilardi for a good haul if he wants more money or out of Winnipeg)

I seriously do think Montreal wins this trade and Laine turns it around there big time. Not just that, he helps improve Montreal a lot and I believe St. Louis is going to help turn him into the star he's meant to be. I think he'll have excellent chemistry with Kirby Dach too! Kind of wish they sent Josh Anderson as well.

Gonna guess Laine rocks 92.

 

[heilongjetsfan]

Or maybe with how it went with Winnipeg/CBJ a place like Montreal is what he needs.

I can see it. The media attention never seemed to bother him in Winnipeg, so having that same star power in a major city might be exactly what it takes to turn his frown upside down.

 

[HabsAddict]

I can't even go to the loo...and Hughes flips the world on us.

I'm OK with the cost of getting him which is all I cared about. If he's the second coming of Lafleur, great, if he's a flop, no big loss of assets.

I'm impressed with Hughes...

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Wow Habs haters destroyed on this one. Lots of scrambling to find the new narrative now that Hughes absolutely robbed Waddell. Oh and btw Ryder Halak and a 2nd is/was an excellent package the joke needs to die

Hughes has just spiked on Habs haters like nobody's business. CBJ fans had me convinced Laine had value. Now its entertaining to read the narrative change due lessen the fleecing.

Hughes is a god.

 

[waitin425]

in addition to....

Suzuki
Laine
Caufield
Demidov
Slaf
Dach
Hage
Hutson
Reinbacher
Guhle

We have 2 x 1st this year, 2 x 2nd this year, 1 x 1st 2026, 2 x 2nd 2026.

This is next level pipeline and asset management.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

So how how many points does Laine have to get for him to be worth the value of his contract?

Even if its zero, the Habs got a 2nd. lol

 

[Frank Drebin]

Really happy that Montreal fans have something to focus on now other than Zegras.

well now that we traded Harris we really can't afford him...

 

[VT]

Hughes has just spiked on Habs haters like nobody's business. CBJ fans had me convinced Laine had value. Now its entertaining to read the narrative change due lessen the fleecing.

Hughes is a god.

Laine was in PAP because of psychical problems and wanted to leave Columbus. Btw, do not forget his psychical problems were minimum from December 2023 I think. Hughes used it.

Patrik is a great player and if his new condition coach is better than coaches before, he will play like a TOP player. Btw Werenski said if he is health one is a TOP NHL player.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Really happy that Montreal fans have something to focus on now other than Zegras.

"Really happy Kent Hughes didn't fleece us"