Patrik Laine should not be back with the Montreal Canadiens next season. The pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) is simply no longer a fit on the Canadiens' roster and was limited to only five games this season. While this is the case, Laine should generate some interest if he hits the market on July 1 due to his past success, and this year's pending UFAs not being the strongest bunch. In a recent article for The Fourth Period [https://www.thefourthperiod.com/pagnotta/canucks-listening-on-debrusk-pettersson], David Pagnotta mentioned the Los Angeles Kings as a potential landing spot for Laine this summer due to their interest in the Canadiens sniper at this year's deadline. "Could Patrik Laine take his game to Los Angeles? I believe that’s a spot he’d have interest in, and the Kings were in talks to acquire him from Montreal ahead of the deadline. Picking him up on a low-AAV, bonus-laden deal could work for both parties," Pagnotta wrote. When looking at the Kings' current roster, it would make sense if they were interested in taking a chance on Laine this off-season. They were one of the NHL's lowest-scoring teams this year, as they finished the campaign with just 225 goals. Due to this, it would make sense if Los Angeles took a chance on a three-time 30-goal scorer like Laine with a cheap one-year prove-it deal. If the Kings signed Laine and he bounced back, he would be a nice addition to their middle six. In addition, he would give them another clear option to work with on their power play because of his offensive skill. It will be interesting to see if the Kings end up being the team that lands Laine this summer.
