Why Montreal Won the Patrik Laine Trade by a Landslide

 The Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets made a pretty significant trade the other day. The Blue Jackets sent Laine and a 2026 second round pick to the Habs in exchange for Jordan Harris. Laine has been through a lot of ups and downs over the past few years with many saying he has not lived up to his $8.7 million cap hit. Although there may be some truth to that, I believe that this trade only has upside for Montreal, and here's why:

The Canadiens are a rebuilding team with an extremely young core. Juraj Slafkovsky is coming off a solid sophomore campaign, and Nick Suzuki really stepped up last season as well. Kirby Dach will be coming back this year and we all know what Cole Caufield is capable of. The Habs have the fourth youngest average age of any team in the league and the team has low expectations going into the 2024-2025 season. With this being said, why not take a shot on a 26 year old former 40 goal scorer with only 2 years remaining on his contract for a dirt cheap trade? This team likely won't be fighting for a playoff spot for another season or 2, so the high salary cap hit won't be causing any cap issues. Laine adds to the Habs young core of talent, and they can be creative with their low expectations. Mix up the lines, find out who plays well together. This is absolutely the perfect time to pull the trigger on a deal like this. If Laine's struggles continue, the Habs can move on once his contract expires and they've still received a second round pick. Jordan Harris has not shown any flashes of greatness and even he does progress with the Blue Jackets, I can't see him becoming anything more than a Top 4 defenceman at best.

The way I see it, Patrik Laine wanted out of Columbus, and never truly looked like he belonged during his tenure. Martin St. Louis has an incredible reputation as a head coach, and may be what Laine needs to find his once elite play again. The Habs made a low-risk, extremely high-reward trade, and although some may not see it this way now, I urge you to at least consider the possibility. Tell me you can't see Laine wearing 92, tormenting the Toronto Maple Leafs for the next decade. I'm certainly not looking forward to it as a Leafs fan.