It Could Be Over for Patrik Laine with the Canadiens After What Just Happened in the Playoffs
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
We can safely say that Patrik Laine's season with the Montreal Canadiens was filled with highs and lows.
His numerous power play goals were part of the highs, but his performance over the past few weeks definitely belongs in the other category.
However, it was recently revealed that the Finnish forward had been playing through an injury for some time, which is why he missed the last three games of the first-round series against the Washington Capitals.
A rumor suggests it could be over for Patrik Laine with the Montreal Canadiens, especially due to the arrival of Ivan Demidov on the top power play unit
That said, his absence allowed Martin St-Louis to insert Ivan Demidov on the first power play unit, and as reported by the site DansLesCoulisses, the results spoke for themselves.
"The (very) young unit composed of Suzuki, Hutson, Demidov, Caufield, and Slaf scored three times in two games on the power play, and the Canadiens converted nearly 44% (4 out of 9) of their man-advantage opportunities in their last two games."
- DansLesCoulisses
- DansLesCoulisses
Indeed, several sources believe that Laine's time in Montreal is over, especially due to what has unfolded in recent weeks.
These are signs that rarely lie.
Returning to Demidov and his new role on the top power play, we're looking at a potentially dominant unit for years to come, on par with what the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning boast (featuring Demidov, Slafkovsky, Suzuki, Caufield, and Hutson).
We clearly saw during the series against the Caps that the Canadiens can hold their own without Laine in the lineup, and many are now wondering if his time in Montreal is already up.
Acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in August 2024, the Finnish forward is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2025-2026, but with a salary of $8.7 million, it will be quite difficult for Kent Hughes to move him.
| POLL | ||
MAI 4 | 3023 ANSWERS It Could Be Over for Patrik Laine with the Canadiens After What Just Happened in the Playoffs Will Patrik Laine be back with the Canadiens in 2025-2026? | ||
| Yes | 1917 | 63.4 % |
| No | 1106 | 36.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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