Montreal Canadiens Prepared to Retain 50% on Patrik Laine

The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in an interesting situation. They have a very young team that is dominating this season, and as they prepare for the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, there is a big question mark surrounding the future of Patrik Laine.

Laine, 27, has been recovering from an injury and has yet to play a game this season. Now that he is close to returning, some rumblings suggest the Canadiens are exploring ways to move his contract. In a recent report from Nick Kypreos, he revealed that Montreal may even be willing to retain up to 50 percent of his cap hit to make a deal work.

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Canadiens Willing to Retain

As mentioned above, Kypreos reported that the Canadiens are open to retaining 50 percent of Laine’s $8.7 million contract. That would drop his AAV to $4.35 million, making him far more manageable for an acquiring team. Here’s what he said:

“Montreal is looking to move out his money and might be willing to spend an asset to do that. The Canadiens are prepared to retain a good chunk (even up to 50 per cent) of his deal, considering they haven’t used any retention slots and because Laine’s contract expires at the end of the season anyway. I wonder if this kind of move could help Montreal open space to do something bigger, and there is interest in Laine because he’ll be coming on an expiring contract. He would be a freebie with upside, whether for a playoff team hoping to find a cheap-to-acquire scorer, or for a non-playoff team like Calgary to get a free look at him before considering him long-term.“

Calgary does make sense as part of a larger deal that could help both rosters. As Kypreos pointed out, Laine’s contract expires at the end of the season, which could push another team to take a chance on him, especially if Montreal is willing to retain salary.

There’s also a scenario where the Canadiens retain on Laine and move him as a cheap asset simply to clear space for future moves. If that’s the case, a team like the Edmonton Oilers could be a logical fit. Montreal could flip him for a mid-round pick just to open a roster spot. Edmonton could pay that price, then move part of the deal to another team willing to retain 50 percent of the remaining $4.35 million. That would bring his cap hit down to $2.175 million, which is very affordable and likely wouldn’t cost more than a few draft picks and maybe a mid-tier prospect.

It would be an interesting move and could give Laine a fresh start. And if that destination ends up being Edmonton, it would be fun to see how he fits alongside either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.

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