The Montreal Canadiens' most notable pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) heading into the summer is forward Patrik Laine. When noting that Laine only played in five games this season and was already no longer looking like a fit on the Canadiens' roster in 2024-25, it is likely that the Habs will not be bringing him back. While Laine was limited to only five games this season, he is entering the off-season as arguably the NHL's most interesting buy-low pending UFA. His past success could very well lead to him generating a good amount of interest. This is especially so when noting that this year's free agency class is not the strongest. On a cheap one-year, prove-it deal, Laine could be a good value signing for another team if he stays healthy and puts together a bounce-back season. When looking at his resume, the possibility of him turning things around next season should not be ruled out. In 2024-25 with the Canadiens, he posted 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games. While these numbers were not as good as his top years in the NHL, he showed just one season ago that he is still capable of providing solid secondary scoring. During the 2022-23 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Laine had 22 goals and 52 points in 55 games. This was after he had 26 goals and 56 points in 56 games with Columbus in 2020-21. He is also a three-time 30-goal scorer, so there could be some clubs out there willing to buy low on Laine if they feel he can rebound. It is going to be very interesting to see what happens with Laine this off-season. In 57 games over two seasons with the Habs, he posted 20 goals, 14 assists, and 34 points.
