Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine was a popular name in the rumor mill leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. It was understandable, as he is no longer a fit on the Canadiens' roster, and moving him would have freed up significant cash space for the Habs. However, in the end, Laine, of course, stuck with the Canadiens past the deadline. While this is the case, the Canadiens reportedly had trade talks with two teams about Laine on trade deadline day. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-player-safety-a-hot-topic-at-gms-meetings/], the Canadiens talked a Laine trade with both the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs. "The Canadiens have done a nice job of shielding their true intentions. There were rumours of a defenceman, of Knies, and even something else they might wish to revisit. They definitely explored moving money. There were discussions about Patrik Laine ending up either in Philadelphia or Toronto, but it obviously didn’t work out," Friedman wrote. This is an interesting report. Both the Flyers and Maple Leafs are on the wrong end of the playoff line, so it's likely that Laine would not have been the main player in the move if the Canadiens struck a deal with either of these teams. Nevertheless, a deal with either team did not happen, so Laine is still on the Habs because of it. However, that is likely to change this offseason, as Laine is a pending unrestricted free agent.
