Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens are reportedly involved in a trade discussion with the Los Angeles Kings, with Habs forward Patrik Laine at the centre of the potential deal.
It’s rumour season, so we must take some of these reports with a grain of salt, but according to David Pagnotta, the Kings have shown interest in Laine, among other NHL teams.
Trade talk surrounding #GoHabsGo winger Patrik Laine has picked up a little more, and I’m told the #GoKingsGo are circling back on him. Other teams in the mix, too. We’ll see if Montreal retains 50% of his $8.7M AAV, but expectations remain high that he’ll be moved this week.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 3, 2026
Pagnotta mentions the possibility the Canadiens may retain 50% of Laine’s contract to facilitate a deal.
Laine is on the last year of an eight-year contract that carries an $8.7 million annual average value, however, it’s important to remember teams will not be on the hook for the entire contract should they trade for him prior to the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
Contracts are based on days with a player spends with a team, not entire years, and given that there will be 22% of the schedule left to play after the deadline, Laine’s deal will only carry a $1.9 million cap hit, give or take a few thousand dollars.
It should make moving Laine a little easier, though it’s clearly not a straightforward situation, given Laine’s injury history, and lack of success at 5v5.
Finding A New Home For Patrik Laine
On the flip side of the coin, Laine still possesses one of the best shots in the NHL, making him a very useful tool for a team looking to add a dominant presence on the powerplay. Los Angeles has one of the worst powerplays in the league, with a 13.9% efficiency, good for just 28th in the league. It’s one of the driving forces behind their frustrating season. For the moment, Los Angeles is on the outside looking into the Western Conference playoff sprint, but they’re still very much in the race. They’re only four points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the final Wild Card spot, with one game in hand.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, they lost the services of two important forwards in recent weeks: Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko, which has muddied the waters of their playoff push.
The Kings currently have plenty of cap space, roughly $11 million, which means they do not necessarily have to convince the Habs to retain some of the contract to ensure the deal can go through.
The Canadiens only have about $1.4 million in available funds, making retention a less-than-ideal situation for a team that is also looking to upgrade a few positions. If the Habs are intent on dealing Patrik Laine, and other teams insist on retention, they could look to a team such as the Vancouver Canucks, to facilitate a deal.
