The Montreal Canadiens have a lot of firepower in their ranks. From young players like Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Nick Suzuki to veterans like Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson, the Canadiens have plenty of players who possess offensive flair.
Another missing from the list above who is looking for a bounce-back season is Patrick Laine. The 27-year-old forward didn’t have a great season. His future might seem murky now, but “yes,” Laine would like to continue playing in Montreal.
Canadiens’ Will Get a “Yes” From Patrik Laine
Laine spoke with Anthony Martineau of TVA Sports on Wednesday, August 20th. The interview took place before an event that Laine was attending.
In the interview, Martineau asked him if he wanted to stay with the Canadiens beyond when his contract expires in July 2026.
“Yes, of course,” Laine said to Martineau. “I don’t think I need to say more. Yes, I would love to be here.”
The slight smile on Laine’s face while he answered this question should tell you what you need to know. The forward has enjoyed his time playing for the Canadiens.
Laine has spent a lot of time in and around Montreal preparing for the new season. He’s been seen skating on the ice with other Canadiens’ players who have stuck around this summer.
The 6-foot-4 winger believes that the team can build on a strong season by taking another step forward.
“It’s been a great year in the organization. I had a ton of fun during the year,” Laine said to Martineau. “I’m very happy to be back, and hopefully we can continue to progress like we did last year. I think we’re on the right track and we’re going to do even better this year.”
Laine finished the season with 33 points, including 20 goals, achieved by only playing 52 games. The winger averaged 14:18 of ice time per game. He is entering the final year of his contract that pays him $8.7 million per season.
Laine is Training Hard For 2nd Season With Canadiens
Heavy.com previously reported on Laine’s training efforts throughout this summer.
“I’ve been able to train fully since May,” Laine revealed to Ville Touru of Helsingin Sanomat earlier in August. “Since the beginning of July, I’ve been on the ice almost every day.”
He explained how this summer has been very different from last summer in that respect.
“Last summer, I probably trained for three weeks before the season,” Laine told Touru. “I had shoulder surgery and was out for maybe a month and a half.”
Having more of an offseason to train and work on his game instead of rehabbing is only going to benefit Laine.
What Does a Deal With the Canadiens Look Like?
AFP Analytics is a public resource to project what a new contract can look like for players seeking contract extensions. AFP has Laine pegged for a four-year $6,058,000 extension. With the salary cap set to rise to $104 million, that’s not a bad contract to hand out.
If he signs a $6.058-million contract, that would put him between Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher in terms of contract AAV.
Laine brings considerably more goal scoring than either Anderson or Gallagher. Laine has scored at least 20 goals in seven of his nine NHL seasons. Anderson has hit the 20-goal plateau twice in his 12-year career. On the other hand, Gallagher has crossed the 20-goal threshold five times since the start of his career in 2012-13.
No matter what Laine’s future holds, if he remains with the Canadiens, it will be money well spent by Montreal.
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