Laine as good as gone? Montreal's Trade Deadline outlook

Every report has indicated that Finnish sniper Patrik Laine has played his final game in a Montreal Canadiens uniform. The return of depth forwards Alex Newhook and Alexandre Texier, along with the lack of a role in the Habs' top six, has made Laine the odd man out in Montreal.

But what will Kent Hughes do with the cap space created after Laine's $8.7M cap hit comes off the books? Will another big move be made? Or do Hughes and St. Louis feel comfortable with the group they have?

Bye Bye Laine

Throughout his career, Laine has made a name for himself by having one of the most lethal shots in the NHL. Unfortunately, after years of countless injuries, his shot is now all he has left. Laine's legs are absolutely gone at this point, and with no space on the roster, his time with Montreal seems to be up.

Laine potted 15 power-play goals in only 52 games last season and was one of the main reasons the Canadiens got into the playoffs. With Montreal having the 7th-ranked power play in the NHL in his absence, they simply don't need Laine anymore.

This year's Habs system focuses on speed, both on the rush and through the cycle, which Laine can't keep up with. However, Laine's lethal shot can be extremely useful for teams struggling to convert on the power play.

Landing spots

Laine does have some reported interest league-wide, but the Canadiens will almost certainly have to retain money on his monster contract in any trade. Teams with reported interest are the Kings, Kraken, and Hurricanes. However, he is more of the "worst-case scenario" if they can't find better options elsewhere.

The Kings make the most sense after losing Fiala over the Olympic break, but they'll revisit closer to the deadline. After going all in for Panarin, the Kings will have to continue to add if they want to fix their scoring issues and make a playoff push.

Nick Kypreos also floated the idea of Laine being sent to a rebuilding team like Calgary, which also has major scoring troubles. Laine is still only 27 years old, so Calgary may see him as a cheap reclamation project who they can even sign for cheaper in the offseason if he passes a short audition over the last ~25 games of the season.

Montreal has reported interest in multiple Calgary forwards, including Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman. Could Laine be the piece sent back to make the money work in a deal for one of them?

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So what are Montreal's deadline options?

Management has stated that they are looking for a winger to play on the top line with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. This is consistent with the Canadiens' heavy interest in Blues winger Jordan Kyrou around draft time last year, which has since resurfaced as Kyrou is reportedly open to a trade out of St. Louis amid their struggles.

With Kyrou's price likely being much cheaper than it was in June, is this when Kent Hughes looks to pounce? Hughes has been known to trade for players he likes at their presumed lowest value, as we saw this summer with the acquisition of Noah Dobson.

Second-line center has also been a need for the Canadiens, which resulted in reported interest in Robert Thomas and Nazem Kadri. But with the strong play of Oliver Kapanen and the emergence of prospect Michael Hage in the NCAA, the need for the position seems to have died down for now. Also, trading for a 2C when most of the league is looking for one may have made the prices a little bit too steep for Kent Hughes' liking.

Even with their high spot in the standings and a surplus of assets to deal with, do they even need to make a move? Many think the Habs are comfortable with what they have and look to make something happen in the offseason. With the return of many injured players and the club already acquiring Philip Danault in December, do they need to make a move?

At the end of the day, Kent Hughes has shown time and time again that he won’t chase headlines and force something that isn't there midseason. If the right winger at the right price presents itself, he’ll strike. If not, he’ll wait and weaponize that $8.7M in the summer, where another opportunity might open up for Montreal.

The Canadiens are not desperate because they know it's not their time yet. For now, they look to keep the "family" mentality and allow their group to grow together. We hear time and time again how teams overpay too early into rebuilds, and it comes back to bite them. Kent Hughes prefers to have his name etched into a Stanley Cup, not into the list of GMs who panicked in March.