[Trade] CBJ trade Patrik Laine (no retention) + 2026 2nd to Montreal for Jordan Harris

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Hughes has done an excellent job in leveraging cap space since he took over in January 2022.

August 2022: Acquired Sean Monahan + 1st round pick in 2025 for nothing.
June 2023: Re-signs Monahan to a 1 year, cheap contract.
February 2024: Trades Sean Monahan for a 1st round pick in 2024

Kent Hughes acquired a 2024 1st round pick, a 2025 1st round pick, and got 74 games out of Sean Monahan. That is incredible work.
He has now acquired Patrik Laine + 2nd for a depth defenceman.

Master class in weaponizing salary cap space. I don't think anyone has done this better in recent years.

He also has an advantage in the sense that Montreal is fine eating actual cash in addition to cap space. If Laine sucks then they are paying 17.4 million dollars to get a second. Monahan was a lot of luck as well, initial trade was good and then he actually got healthy.

[Monahammer]

2nd round pick and a lottery ticket on a 40 goal scorer for money. To one of the richest teams in the league.

Easy win.

[bluejays]

Montreal always seems to make good, if not great moves but tend to not make much progress. Their back end and goaltending truly need help.

[Ashes]

CBJ really couldn't get more than this from any other team in the league? Wow, seems like an absolute no-brainer for MTL

[SuperMatt18]

Personally I'm more surprised we didn't see more of a hockey trade.

Something like Josh Anderson for Laine in a 1:1 move.

Anderson has $15.5M on his contract over 3 years, Laine has $18.2M left over 2 years on his deal (potentially $16.2M if Columbus already paid his signing bonus on this year for July 1)

[Kipper_3434]

Another 2nd for Montreal...they have an unreal horde of picks rn.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Personally I'm more surprised we didn't see more of a hockey trade.

Something like Josh Anderson for Laine in a 1:1 move.

Anderson has $15.5M on his contract over 3 years, Laine has $18.2M left over 2 years on his deal (potentially $16.2M if Columbus already paid his signing bonus on this year for July 1)

Why'd Columbus want Anderson if it only cost them a 2nd to dump Laine? I'd rather trade Laine +2nd for a B prospect than Laine for Anderson

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Why'd Columbus want Anderson if it only cost them a 2nd to dump Laine? I'd rather trade Laine +2nd for a B prospect than Laine for Anderson

I'm looking at it more from the other side...I'm surprised Montreal didn't try to use it as an opportunity to dump Anderson.

Although maybe they did and Columbus said no.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Personally I'm more surprised we didn't see more of a hockey trade.

Something like Josh Anderson for Laine in a 1:1 move.

Anderson has $15.5M on his contract over 3 years, Laine has $18.2M left over 2 years on his deal (potentially $16.2M if Columbus already paid his signing bonus on this year for July 1)

I assume the valued the cap space more, thats why they sent the pick.

Anderson is going to be in Lucic territory soon.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I'm looking at it more from the other side...I'm surprised Montreal didn't try to use it as an opportunity to dump Anderson.

Although maybe they did and Columbus said no.

Columbus may as well have retained 50% on Laine and get some kind of return if their only other option was taking on Anderson’s contract.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Bonded

He also has an advantage in the sense that Montreal is fine eating actual cash in addition to cap space. If Laine sucks then they are paying 17.4 million dollars to get a second. Monahan was a lot of luck as well, initial trade was good and then he actually got healthy.

The second year makes this deal very expensive for a 2nd.

[Calgary]

Would be great to see Laine get back to form. 26 years old and hopefully healthy. What's going to hold him back?

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Calgary

Would be great to see Laine get back to form. 26 years old and hopefully healthy. What's going to hold him back?

Himself

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Personally I'm more surprised we didn't see more of a hockey trade.

Something like Josh Anderson for Laine in a 1:1 move.

Anderson has $15.5M on his contract over 3 years, Laine has $18.2M left over 2 years on his deal (potentially $16.2M if Columbus already paid his signing bonus on this year for July 1)

I'm really zeroing in on Josh Anderson being a Flame this season or next. I'm hoping Montreal takes a huge step forward this season and feels the pressure to make efficient use of their full cap to start making playoff runs.

I really want the Flames to make at least one massive trade in taking on a bad contract and I think he'd be perfect if Montreal becomes a playoff team. My target is next off season. Flames will still be 3 years or so from coming out of this rebuild, and then Josh Anderson will have two seasons at $5.5mil.

I think the prices for taking on bad contracts is going down as teams wise up to it a bit, but I'd still think we could get a 1st+ for two years of Anderson.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I'm looking at it more from the other side...I'm surprised Montreal didn't try to use it as an opportunity to dump Anderson.

Although maybe they did and Columbus said no.

I see your point but didn’t Anderson leave Columbus a bit sour?

[keenan87]

Why do I have a feeling that Montreal is going to trade Laine for a 1st in a year or two.

[dino7c]

Two months ago myself and a few others suggested Laine and were basically mocked off the page...now Montreal does it and its the greatest move ever.

I think there is a good chance Laine is done but its certainly worth the risk to a team with cap space.

[FireGilbert]

I get the deal for the Habs in a vacuum, utilising their cap space to gain a draft pick and could later flip Laine for more picks, but what is their overall plan?

Without the COVID chaos the Habs would have 7 years in a row without the playoffs with the last three finishing last in their division. Isn’t this the stage of their rebuild where they stop using cap space on cap dumps and start using it to supplement their young core to become competitive?

[TheScorpion]

Laine is young enough that I think this could very well count as supplementing their core. He's enormously talented. If he clicks, I love the look of that forward group with Slaf, Laine, Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, and Demidov coming in soon.

[heep223]

Laine has been a total floater for the last few seasons. Completely unengaged. There’s always a chance but you really think he’s going to turn it around in the pressure cooker of Montreal?

It’s a Hail Mary with a massive cap hit attached for two seasons and risk to your dressing room. And it’s not like he’s some last piece they need to make a deep playoff run.

Giant meh