It has been well documented for several weeks that the Montreal Canadiens are evaluating their options to trade Patrik Laine.
Our colleague François Gagnon described the situation in detail in a column published this Tuesday.
For his part, Pierre LeBrun shared during his appearance on the Canadiens’ pre-game show Thursday evening, before the duel against the New York Islanders, that the management of the Habs would have given authorization to the agent of the Finnish striker, Andy Scott, so that the latter could also contact the different teams throughout the circuit to find a new destination for his client.
LeBrun adds that the exchanges are very positive between the Canadiens and Laine’s agent so that he gets a fresh start. It’s not a guarantee that the 27-year-old will be traded, but the hockey insider emphasizes that if a transaction is possible, the camps involved would move forward.
Laine is in the final year of his contract, which has a weight of $8.7 million on the payroll. He has only played five games this season, recording one assist, and has been sidelined since October 16. Whoever is on the injured list practices with the team.
LeBrun also added that as the March 6 trade deadline approaches, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are busy, but there does not seem to be any urgency to absolutely make another transaction after the one that brought Phillip Danault back to Montreal.
He specifies that if an exchange were to occur, it would once again be with the idea that the player obtained will help the team not only in the short term, but also for the next few years.
