Game Over: Is Patrik Laine the odd one out in Montreal?

Right now, the buzz around the Montreal Canadiens is that Patrik Laine might not actually play another game in a Habs jersey. In fact, the more you look at what’s happening, the more it feels like the writing is already on the wall.

Laine is about to return, but will he?

Laine has been practicing, getting closer to complete cleansing, and is doing everything you’d expect from someone working their way back from core muscle surgery. But even as he slowly gets healthy, the sound is that Montreal has no real intention of reintegrating him. Hockey insiders continue to suggest the same thing: Once the Olympic roster freeze is lifted, the Canadiens will look to move him instead of drafting him in the top nine.

It’s a wild turn for someone who once looked like a potential long-term scoring player, but the team around him has changed. Montreal is deeper, healthier and honestly, they don’t need him like they did last year.

The Canadiens Forward Units are back and producing

Think about it. Kirby Dach, Jake Evans and Alex Newhook are all back and rolling. The team sits at the top of the Atlantic, scoring comfortably without Laine ever touching the ice. If you’re GM Kent Hughes, Laine suddenly feels like a luxury. Or, from another perspective, he could be extra baggage.

But can the Canadiens move him? One problem is the contract. That $8.7 million cap looms everywhere. It’s not that Laine isn’t talented, because he absolutely is. But teams get nervous adding those kinds of numbers when the player hasn’t always been healthy. Montreal seems willing to withhold salary, perhaps even up to half, to move things along. What they won’t do according to reports, a sweetener is thrown in. They still believe he has value, and honestly, that feels fair.

Has Laine played his last game for the Canadiens?

Has Laine played his last game for the Canadiens yet? It feels possible. Maybe even probably. There has been no public statement either way, but the overall vibe is hard to miss: Montreal is preparing for life without him, and Laine may be preparing for a fresh start somewhere else.

If a deal is made, it’s not about giving up talent. It’s about fit. The Canadiens are building something younger, faster and more balanced. Laine could still thrive somewhere. But maybe it’s not in Montreal’s version of the future.

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