All Options On The Table For Canadiens' Laine

The Montreal Canadiens have played well all season and were playing well heading into the Olympic break, but they are still expected to make at least one upgrade before the trade deadline that approaches quickly after the NHL games start back up.

With limited cap space, someone is going to have to be moved out if the Canadiens want to get a larger deal done. The most likely candidate is Patrik Laine for a few reasons.

Pierre LeBrun said, "I think there's a chance that his contract gets moved in a bigger deal if there's something they feel they can do in their top-6. Isn't out of the question that he finishes the year. All options are on the table."

Laine is currently on the injured reserve, but appears to be back soon. He has the largest cap hit among forwards on the team and the second-largest on the team at $8.7 million AAV, but he is also in the final year of his deal, so it isn't too much of a burden for a seller to take back that contract and let it play out for the remaining 20 games if they're looking to move a high-end player and the Canadiens are seriously interested.

Laine also has a 10-team no-trade list, which might get a little bit in the way. But by the way his seasons have gone with injuries and inconsistent play, he might not be too picky if the team acquiring him would also consider an extension to give him the chance to rebound. The 27-year-old has only played five games this season and recorded one assist. He also logged less than 13 minutes per game, but 2.5 minutes per game on the power play where he can still be very effective.

Laine tends to get really hot and then really cold, so if the Canadiens hang onto him and he gets hot at the right time, it could be very good for them and they wouldn't have to pay to land a big player. While an extension is unlikely, it seems like there's a slight chance that could still be on the table as no option has been eliminated thus far.