The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the biggest surprise teams this season, and they've been doing most of their damage without winger Patrik Laine.
Laine's been out of the lineup for most of this season, dressing in just five games, recording one assist. The former second-overall pick is signed for $8.7 million AAV and is in the final season of his contract. There was a ton of speculation brewing that GM Kent Hughes was offering Laine in trades ahead of the deadline to help facilitate the finances of the deal, but no deal materialized and Laine remained on the Canadiens roster. Don't expect to see Laine re-sign in Montreal, as he'll be looking to reset his NHL career somewhere else.
Here's three teams to keep an eye on to sign Laine on July 1:
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs need a right-winger for the middle-six and Laine would be one hell of an interesting flyer, just giving the fact when he's healthy, he can score with the best of them. The only thing is, Auston Matthews needs a facilitator, so the fit there isn't ideal, but if Toronto is able to add a pass-first winger for Matthews, perhaps Laine can slide in on their second or third line on a low-risk, high-reward type of contract.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings are doing damage this season without a ton of firepower, and Steve Yzerman will be looking to get creative this summer on the free-agent market. Laine would be a great fit in Detroit, and as we've seen over the recent years, they're able to get players to turn back the clock in Motown, much like Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk. Laine could be next up.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings will look much different next season as Anze Kopitar is retiring and the team is expected to try and reshape their forward group around Artemi Panarin. Laine is going to be on their radar as he'll come in relatively cheap and will settle for a short-term deal to reestablish himself. Laine to the Kings is certainly something to watch once free agency opens.
Photo credit: © David Kirouac-Imagn Images
