Top Remaining UFA Patrik Laine Linked To New Team Out West
According to @urheilucast Esko Seppänen: Patrik Laine has met with Anaheim ducks. Ducks GM will finalize Gauthier deal before signing Patrik Laine.@HabsDigest @NHL #NHL
— Aki Nieminen (@aki_nieminen) September 15, 2026
Seppänen, who hosts a reputable podcast on NHL and international hockey in Finland, goes on to note that any move for Laine would have to come after the team gets top restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier signed.
The Ducks have about $15.5 million in cap space, and while that should be just barely enough to sign Gauthier, how much will be left after that remains another question. Still, it would seem that a cheap, $1 million or so deal could still be had with Laine.
The move would make a lot of sense for the Ducks, who are obviously cap-crunched after the massive Leo Carlsson and forthcoming Gauthier deals. Finding a low-cost, low-risk, potentially high-reward option like Laine would be a natural fit for them.
Laine, 28, has had his troubles in recent years staying healthy, and he managed to play just five games with the Montreal Canadiens last season, after scoring 20 for them in his first campaign there in just 52 games.
The 27-year-old Finn is a sniper, if nothing else, particularly on the power play, and in that certain role, he could be a big help to the Ducks. Anaheim had to move on from Chris Kreider in order to have the cap space to work with for Gauthier, so they'll need to at least replace those 20 goals somehow, and that work on the PP unit.
Granted, Laine might not replace the rest of what Kreider brings, like his veteran leadership and gritty play, but the help on the power play and the ability to put the puck in the net would be welcomed.
Laine scored 15 of his 20 goals with Montreal in the 2024-25 season on the power play. He has 85 of his 224 NHL goals on the man advantage.