Acquisition of Patrik Laine: unknown details emerge

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Dominic Pouliot
August 19, 2024 (8:27 PM)

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After months of rumors, it's finally official: the Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Patrik Laine!

The Canadiens receive a 2026 second-round pick and the Finnish forward in exchange for young defenseman Jordan Harris.

Patrik Laine: Kent Hughes' biggest gamble

The 6'5" forward spent last season in the NHL, NHLPA's players assistance program due to mental health issues. Despite that, he managed to score 6 goals and 3 assists in 18 games.

However, Patrik Laine is typically a player who averages close to a point per game and around 40 goals per season. That is, when he plays a full season, something that last happened in the 2018-2019 season when he was still with the Winnipeg Jets.

It's important to note that this summer, the Canadiens hired Pascal Vincent, the former head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Laine's previous team, as the head coach of the Laval Rocket, the Canadiens' AHL affiliate. It's likely that Kent Hughes sought his input before finalizing this trade.

Jordan Harris is a defenseman with limited potential; he will likely never be a star defenseman in the NHL. More importantly, he was taking the spot of another young Canadiens defenseman with greater potential. Think of Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and Justin Barron.

The Canadiens also have to consider the presence of veteran defensemen Mike Matheson and David Savard. The team's mission was to acquire a top-6 forward in exchange for one of the following defensemen: Arber Xhekaj, Jordan Harris, Justin Barron, or Logan Mailloux.

Fans were hoping to see Jordan Harris go, as he seemed to be the odd man out on defense, both now and in the future. The Canadiens have managed to kill two birds with one stone, solving two issues the team was facing.

Kent Hughes also confirmed in a press conference that he received permission from the Columbus Blue Jackets to speak with the Finnish forward this weekend before finalizing the deal. He also stated that the Canadiens' management is satisfied with Laine's mental and physical condition.