The Montreal Canadiens have several players to watch during the 2025-26 season. One of them is certainly winger Patrik Laine.

Laine is entering the 2025-26 campaign as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so this is an incredibly important year for the 27-year-old forward. The better the season he puts together, the better the chances he has to be a part of the Canadiens' long-term plans. In addition, if he puts together a strong season, it would benefit him personally when it comes to his next payday.

Laine just completed his first season with the Canadiens. In 52 games this past season with the Canadiens, the sniper scored 20 goals and recorded 33 points. A notable portion of his offense came on the man advantage, as he scored an impressive 15 power-play goals and recorded 19 power-play points. 

If Laine can continue to make a big impact on the power play but also improve his five-on-five play, it would be significant for both him and the Canadiens. It is going to be quite interesting to see what kind of campaign he puts together from here, but he is a big-time player to keep an eye on.

Canadiens Forward Is Sneaky Breakout Candidate The 2024-25 season was a bit of a tough year for <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens\">Montreal Canadiens</a> forward Alex Newhook. In 82 games on the year with the Original Six club, he posted 15 goals, 26 points, and a minus-21 rating.