3 Free Agent Destinations For Patrik Laine
His four-year, $34.8 million contract is done.
He will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career on July 1.
At his Canadiens exit availability, Laine was clear about what comes next.
"Just excited where the wind takes me next year," he said. "I'm excited to see new opportunities, see where it goes."
There was incentive for Laine to stay on IR though as he will now be able to sign a bonus laden contract as a UFA with a lower base salary which will make him more appealing to teams. https://t.co/89CpZqjsyE
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 1, 2026
He added that he was healthy enough by the end of the season to have potentially contributed in the playoffs but understood why the Canadiens did not work him into the lineup after months away.
The market for Laine this summer is pretty interesting for a reason Pierre LeBrun noted this week.
Because Laine spent an extended period on injured reserve during the regular season, he is now eligible to sign a bonus-laden contract with a lower base salary, a structure that allows teams to minimize financial risk while rewarding him significantly if he returns to his previous form.
Laine clarified he was not injured at the end of the season, but the IR time triggers the eligibility regardless, and the financial structure it enables makes him one of the more appealing low-risk, high-reward free agents on a market that otherwise skews heavily toward defensemen at the top of the list.
Three teams stand out as the most logical fits.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers need a goal scorer on the left wing with a shot that changes penalty kill structures, and Laine is one of four players in the last decade who has scored 40-plus goals in a single season.
The cap complication is a huge hurdle though.
Comme on pouvait s’y attendre, l’aventure de Patrik Laine à Montréal est maintenant terminée. 👀⬇️
— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) June 1, 2026
Il était évident qu’il ne faisait plus partie des plans de l’équipe depuis son retour de blessure en janvier.
Pour la suite, je verrais très bien l’attaquant finlandais rejoindre… https://t.co/Z87wcyIy4p
Stan Bowman has a crowded offseason with several internal needs to address, and Laine's previous $8.7 million salary is more than the Oilers can reasonably absorb if they want to remain cap flexible for other moves.
The bonus-laden structure LeBrun described is the mechanism that makes this work.
If Laine accepts a lower base salary with upside through performance bonuses, Edmonton becomes a perfect landing spot for a player who could provide exactly the kind of power-play ammunition the Oilers have searched for on the wing.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings lost Anze Kopitar to retirement this past season and are searching for every offensive upgrade available as they attempt to rebuild their identity around Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke.
Laine's one-timer from the left circle is the single most unreplicable skill available on the UFA market, and the Kings' power play has been inconsistent enough for long enough that adding the best shooting mechanism in the world at reduced financial risk makes organizational sense.
Stu Cowan mentions that Brendan Gallagher, Patrik Laine, AND Samuel Montembeault won’t be back with the Montreal Canadiens next season.
— The Mug NHL (@TheMugNHL) June 2, 2026
Los Angeles has consistently searched for more scoring punch on the wing and the bonus-laden contract structure makes Laine attainable for a team otherwise cautious about committing to a player with his injury history.
The Kings are also one of the teams linked to Bruce Cassidy as a coaching hire, and Cassidy's track record of coaxing production from underperforming offensive players is exactly the kind of environment Laine could thrive in.
Detroit Red Wings
Steve Yzerman said after the season that the Red Wings need better players and specifically better five-on-five scoring.
Laine at his healthiest is one of the most efficient pure goal scorers in the sport, and the Red Wings have the projected $33 million in cap space to structure a creative deal without straining the roster.
The risk is the same one every team faces.
Laine has played more than 56 games in a season just once since 2019-20, and the four-month injury absence this past season added another chapter to a health history that has prevented him from ever fully delivering on the promise of being a generational shooter.
But Detroit is a team willing to bet on upside given their current competitive situation, and a bonus-laden deal at a manageable base salary is exactly the kind of swing Yzerman described wanting to make.
Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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