Montreal Canadiens left winger Patrik Laine missed his club's final three playoff games against the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old suffered a series-ending broken finger in Game 2.
Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette believes it doesn't matter that Laine was sidelined because he felt the Canadiens were better without him. He thinks the power-play specialist would've been in the lineup if the Habs needed him, busted finger or not.
Hickey suggested Laine is reaching a crossroads in Montreal after only one season. Calling him “a one-trick pony,” he claimed teams have to hope his “rocket shot” compensates for his poor play in the defensive zone. He felt Laine doesn't fit into coach Martin St-Louis' system and has to go.
Likewise, The Hockey News' Jim Parsons said Laine hasn't kept pace with the Canadiens' fast-paced, high-pressure system.
Laine's return from a knee injury last December played a key part in the Canadiens' rallying from last place in the Eastern Conference into a playoff contender. However, 15 of his 20 goals this season came on the power play, as did 19 of his 33 points. His production also declined down the stretch, netting just two goals during the Habs' last 10 regular-season games.
Trading Laine will be difficult. PuckPedia indicates he has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $8.7 million and a 10-team no-trade list.
Hickey believes the Canadiens might have to package him with a draft pick and retain part of his salary. Failing that, he suggested they buy out his contract.
Canadiens Face Tough Questions About Patrik Laine’s Future
The off-season has officially arrived for the Montreal Canadiens, a team that proved they are closer to being contenders, and one that <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/the-hockey-news-playoff-frenzy-live-reaction-as-capitals-eliminate-the-canadiens" target="_blank">gave the Washington Capitals a decent fight</a> in Round 1. However, one player who wasn’t memorable in the series was forward Patrik Laine. He was not involved in Wednesday's Game 5, and speculation has surfaced about his future with the team.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres must find a steady, right-shot defense partner for Owen Power.
Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News observed that Power already has 242 NHL games under his belt, but his defensive game remains consistent. The 22-year-old blueliner could benefit from being paired with a veteran mentor.
The Sabres could turn to the free-agent market to address that issue. However, Lysowski suggested dangling rearguard Bowen Byram as trade bait.
Byram was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche last season in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt. They won that deal, as the 23-year-old defenseman had a career-best performance this season with 38 points in 82 games and a plus-minus of plus-11.
Completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.85 million, Byram can become an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1. Lysowski believes he will be expensive to re-sign, claiming the Sabres would rather put that money toward signing forwards Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka and Ryan McLeod to contract extensions.
Lysowski listed several possible trade targets, including the New York Islanders' Noah Dobson and the Calgary Flames' Rasmus Andersson. Dobson is also an RFA with arbitration rights this summer, while Andersson is a year away from UFA eligibility.
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