Canadiens confident Laine can resurrect once-prolific career in Montreal

MONTREAL — On the surface, acquiring Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets was an easy decision for the Montreal Canadiens.

But there was no way they could easily come to that decision without digging well beneath the surface.

The Canadiens had to think long and hard on this one. Rightfully so before eventually pulling the trigger.

Hours after doing so on Monday, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said discussions about Laine with Columbus took place over weeks. He hinted that internal discussions about the risks and rewards of trading for him were extensive.

But it wasn’t until Hughes, Canadiens executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and head coach Martin St. Louis spoke with Laine over this past weekend that they felt reassured in taking on everything the player is bringing with him.

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“We came away from that conversation very satisfied,” Hughes said via Zoom conference. “We did a lot of other homework. I don’t want to get into a lot of detail about that, out of respect for Patrik and those people that we spoke to, but Patrik and (Blue Jackets GM) Don (Waddell) were also gracious enough to let us speak to (Laine) and consult the medical file and to have the conversations that we felt we needed to have to be comfortable moving forward, and everybody involved came away very, very comfortable with Patrik. We also spoke to him about Montreal and the pressure that comes with this market, and he didn’t shy away from it at all. In fact, I think he is looking for this type of a market to come play in.”

Laine later confirmed that’s exactly how he feels about it.

He said during his first call with the Montreal media that he’s in the best headspace he’s ever been in, that he learned to better cope with life’s challenges after a recent stint in the NHL/NHLPA players’ assistance program, that his early-career success in hockey-mad Winnipeg would only serve him well under the scalding spotlight in Montreal and that he wasn’t aiming to get back to being a 30-goal scorer so much as he was intent on redeeming his status as a 40-50 goal scorer.

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If Laine does it, the Canadiens will be laughing.

They’re an offence-starved team that finished 26th in goals for last season, a team desperate for bona fide top-six talent, a young team that could also use a player with close to 500 games of NHL experience, and the possibility of Laine providing all that for the price they paid is more than enticing.

It was a negligible price, with respect to Jordan Harris — a young, serviceable defenceman who makes only $1.4 million on the cap.

The Canadiens liked Harris, but his inclusion here filled as much of a need for them as it did the Blue Jackets. They had an overcrowded blue line, and Harris, who was a depth piece on it, would’ve been potentially blocking a younger player with more upside had he remained.

The real cost of acquiring Laine was taking on the remaining two years of his contract (at $8.7 million per on the cap and $9.1 million per in actual salary) knowing he’s coming off a six-goal output over 18 games and a season that challenged him far more off the ice, and that had to be offset by the acquisition of Columbus’s second-round pick in 2026.

That frank conversation the Canadiens had with the player needed to happen, too.

Without it, making any commitment to Laine — no matter how short — wouldn’t have been on brand. Especially not for a management group that’s been as careful with its roster reconstruction as it has with its cultural overhaul.

“From the onset, we’ve talked a lot about culture and what we’re trying to build in Montreal; how we try to treat the players and everybody who works in the organization and what we expect in return from everybody that works for or plays for the Montreal Canadiens and the part they have to do to contribute to that culture,” said Hughes. “And we spoke to Patrik about that.”

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The GM said he explained to Laine that his commitment to the Canadiens’ program would be just as significant as the goals he’d contribute, and he made it clear his message was received.

Laine confirmed, saying, “I want to come in and do whatever it takes to contribute to the team and make the team win,” and adding, “Whether it’s me scoring 50 or scoring 20, as long as the team wins, that’s all I’m about. I just want to win.”

That will have to be reflected in his play from Day 1 with the Canadiens to eliminate any remaining trepidation about his acquisition.

There should still be some based on how Laine played with the Blue Jackets — rarely as brilliantly as he did in scoring 44 goals one season with the Jets and often uninspired at both ends of the ice — and certainly about the circumstances that forced him to step away from the game and (admirably) made him get the help he felt he required.

But Laine’s confidence it’s all taking him to a better place helps mitigate it.

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“I think most importantly it’s been about Patty as a person more than Patty the hockey player,” the six-foot-five, 215-pound Finn said. “One thing I’ve noticed is when you’re not enjoying whatever you do, you’re probably not going to be able to perform, and that’s kind of where I’ve been at. I haven’t been enjoying myself for a while.

“But now I’m happier than ever off the ice, obviously, and done a lot of work on myself to get me back to this point where I’m actually super excited about playing in a new place with new teammates in a new city. I’ve learned a lot of things over these last couple of years and now’s a really good time to put it to the test, but I’m absolutely readier than ever.”

The Canadiens sensing that enabled this deal. It turned a complicated decision into an easy one.

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