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“The Habs don’t have the second center with whom Patrik Laine could score 40 goals”

 Jennifer Davis
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“The Habs don’t have the second center with whom Patrik Laine could score 40 goals”
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot

Yesterday afternoon, the Canadiens pulled off a major coup by acquiring Patrik Laine. It’s not a risk-free transaction considering the Finn’s contract ($8.7 million a year for two years), but for the Habs, it’s a gamble they can afford to take.

In the worst-case scenario, the club will have solved a problem by trading a left-handed defenseman for Jordan Harris… and will have obtained a second-round pick in 2026 (which could be quite high, considering that the Blue Jackets probably won’t be a powerhouse in two years’ time). Laine can leave in two years if it doesn’t work out.

In the best-case scenario, though, the change of air will ensure that Laine once again becomes one of the best mavericks on the circuit. He’s a fairly one-dimensional player… but in a Montreal top-6 that lacked offensive punch, he’s not too shabby either.

Of course, for Laine to achieve his goal of becoming a top scorer again, he’ll need to be put in a position to succeed. And the big question is, who will he play with?

For many, the answer is simple: the first line will remain intact, and Laine will play with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook on the second line.

On the other hand, not everyone necessarily agrees that Dach is the right center for Laine. In a piece for The Hockey News, Michael Traikos is highly critical of the deal, saying that Laine “wasn’t the right player and wasn’t playing the right position” for the Habs to make the trade.

His reason? He obviously doesn’t have much faith in Kirby Dach:

The Habs don’t have the second center with whom Patrik Laine could score 40 goals. – Michael Traikos

Traikos explains that Laine’s good years were when Mark Scheifele was his center. In Columbus, he played more often than not with Boone Jenner, who is a former winger and mostly a defensive-minded guy.

And obviously, he doesn’t believe that Dach is really the right center to help Laine become the player he once was. He’s aware that injuries have worked against Dach, but he would have preferred to see the Habs go for a second center rather than a top-6 winger.

What’s interesting in all this is that, a year ago, Dach was seen as the Habs’ best forward at camp. His injury in the second game of the season, however, derailed everything… and everyone seems to have forgotten Dach’s potential.

Health will always be a question mark… but he’s a hell of a player when he’s on the ice.

That said, I don’t necessarily disagree with Traikos on the substance… but not for the same reasons as he does. In my eyes, Laine’s center shouldn’t be Dach… because Laine needs to be paired with a center who can protect him defensively.

I was talking a bit about this on X yesterday: I’d like to see Laine take Cole Caufield’s place on the first line at camp, if only as a test.

Dach, who will be returning from a major injury, will probably need some time before becoming the player he used to be. We saw it with Cole Caufield last year, after all: it can take a while for a guy to get back to 100% after major surgery.

The first line was excellent last year, but rather than putting Laine and Dach together (they’re both coming back from major surgery), splitting them up to make two more complete trios is, in my opinion, an idea worth at least testing.

Makes you look forward to training camp.


Overtime

– Good point.

– The Martin St-Louis lure really does exist. And not every team has such appeal behind the bench.

– Seven-year contract at $7.14 million per year for Matty Beniers in Seattle.

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