NHL Entry Draft and free agent frenzy completed, the dog days of summer wear on as NHL management groups take a bit of a breather before the training camps begin. In this series, I will try to investigate every Montreal Canadiens roster player, recap their last season and look ahead to this upcoming season. I will look at their place in the organization, their role and their possible impact.
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In the next step of the series, we continue our look at the Canadiens’ forward group, with Patrik Laine.
2024-25 Season Recap
Laine was traded to the Canadiens in the summer of 2024 after requesting a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets. It gave him the fresh start he was looking for in a market where hockey matters. For Columbus, it was essentially a cap dump, allowing them to shed the final two seasons of his four-year deal, paying him $8.7 million per season.
Fans were excited to see him step onto the ice in a preseason contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs, chanting the Finnish star’s name every time he was on the ice. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as he injured his knee in a collision with a Toronto Marlies forward. Once he did play, he produced, scoring 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games, and of those points, 15 goals and four assists came on the power play (PP). Had he played a full 82 games, that would have put him on pace for 31 goals (23 PP goals) and 52 points.
The team struggled for depth offence in the first couple months of the 2024-25 season as they awaited his return. Yet once he returned to the club in December, he made an immediate impact. In December, he scored eight goals, all on the power play, and earned Molson Cup honours for the month of December as the Canadiens player with the most star selections. Throughout the season, he delivered what was expected as he led the team, and was fourth in the NHL in PP goals and provided an additional scoring winger for the second line. Midway through the season, Laine joined Finland for the 4 Nations Face-Off. It was a good measuring stick for Laine, but it was also used to help him continue to polish his game. After missing a large amount of time at the start of the season, the 4 Nations provided him an opportunity to prove he can compete on a big stage.
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