The Montreal Canadiens have a lot of things going for them. Lane Hutson recently agreed to a long-term team-friendly extension. Additionally, newcomer Zack Bolduc has been revelatory since his arrival. Nick Suzuki has been collecting assists like they are going out of style, and the coaching staff is deploying Mike Matheson as he should be deployed.
However, one player who has received the short end of the hockey stick is Patrik Laine. That’s why Heavy.com believes the Canadiens will be looking to trade his contract.
Zack Bolduc’s Breakout is an Unexpected Surprise
Not many people predicted the start that Bolduc is having with the Canadiens.
For starters, he’s scored a goal in each of his first three games with the team. The last time a player did that was Yanic Perreault in the 2001-02 season.
Additionally, he’s found chemistry at even-strength and on the powerplay. He’s playing alongside Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach at even-strength, while getting reps alongside Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky – the same spot that Laine occupied last season.
Laine Won’t Be Offered an Extension
GettyIs this forward on his way out of Montreal?
One hockey blogger has made a bold prediction for the Canadiens and Laine. Marc-Olivier Beaudoin of BPM Sports Radio made his thoughts known about several players on Sunday, and his thoughts about Laine should raise some eyebrows.
“Patrik Laine won’t be signing a contract extension with the team, despite some rumors we’ve read about it,” Beaudoin wrote on October 12 (translated from French). “He’s playing on the fourth line with a bit of time on the second power-play unit. Zero conditions to optimize his usage. The organization seems to have already moved on from this matter.”
Simply put, the Canadiens aren’t putting Laine in a position to succeed. He’s been relegated to a line with Josh Anderson and Jake Evans. For a player of Laine’s talents, he must be deployed in the top six.
If the Canadiens don’t plan on doing that, they need to trade him for a second-line center upgrade.
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure
GettyThe Canadiens have hit the jackpot with this offseason trade.
With Bolduc emerging and making Laine expendable, what should the Canadiens do?
The team has two options. One, they could keep Laine and hope that he bounces back before he is pushed out of the lineup and into the press box. The second option is that they trade him quickly before his value dips too much.
Option one feels like the “safe” choice, but it’s also a passive choice. That isn’t this management’s style.
As far as a trade goes, the Canadiens could use a center. The New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres are both off to a rough start. Does that make a player like Bo Horvat, Matthew Barzal, or Ryan McLeod available?
The Edmonton Oilers recently signed Jack Roslovic to a one-year deal. However, his contract includes a no-movement clause that changes to a 4-team trade list on November 1st. If things aren’t coming up unicorns and rainbows with the Oilers’ shiny new toy, are the Canadiens on Roslovic’s list? It certainly would be helpful.
Of course, there is still the off-chance that Mason McTavish, Marco Rossi, or any other young second-line center could be the target of the Canadiens’ affections. The summer is typically when this type of deal happens, but it was nothing but crickets this past offseason.
It’s still possible that the Canadiens can get out from under Laine’s contract in a way that allows them to improve their team. Unfortunately, management will need to get creative with whatever solution they choose.
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