Here’s why trading Patrik Laine would help the Habs in the 2026–27 season

Marc-Olivier Cook
Here’s why trading Patrik Laine would help the Habs in the 2026–27 season
Credit: NHL.com

Ah, the Patrik Laine situation…

We're all eager to see how this will end. We wonder if he'll play another game in a Canadiens uniform, and we all have our opinions on the matter.

That said, the Canadiens may not send him elsewhere and keep him in Montreal in the hope that he will be able to help the team between now and the end of the season. But that decision could have certain consequences for next season, even if the player ends up leaving via free agency.

Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports) explained it well in a recent article: ultimately, it's mainly because of the bonuses that will be awarded to certain young players.

Reminder: Performance bonuses cannot be calculated based on the current season's cap if a club is at the cap maximum. Instead, bonuses are calculated based on the following season's cap if a team has already exceeded the salary cap.

For example?

The amount on the Canadiens' payroll in 2025-2026 for the 2024-2025 season is $1,727,500.

This means that 1.8% of the salary cap cannot be used this year due to last season's performance bonuses… because that amount exceeded the salary cap at the end of last season.

With all this in mind, it's worth noting that Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, and Oliver Kapanen are all on track to receive some of their bonuses.

Based on their current performance, their total bonuses should amount to $1.65 million… And by trading Laine's contract, that would give Kent Hughes more room to fit their bonuses into the cap at the end of this season instead of the club receiving a penalty for the 2026-27 season.

Nicolas Cloutier's article can be found in the following publication:

Why $1.65 million?

Because Lane will earn $400,000 after scoring more than 10 goals and more than 25 assists.

Because Demidov is likely to reach all the milestones (20 goals, 35 assists, 60 points, and a top-6 spot among the Canadiens' most-used forwards) that would earn him $1 million at the end of the season.

And because Kapanen should be able to finish the season with 20 goals, which would earn him an additional $250,000 at the end of the campaign.

To ensure that the total ($1.65 million) of these amounts does not affect the Canadiens next season, the CH will have to make room in its payroll between now and the end of the 2025-26 season to try to bring them within the current cap. If the amount exceeds the cap, the Habs will be penalized in 2026-27, as is currently the case with last season's bonuses. And of course, to make room on the payroll, there is one candidate that comes to mind: Patrik Laine. Add to that the fact that there is no room for him in the lineup right now, and that makes him a perfect candidate for a trade…


In a nutshell

– Wow.

— Enjoy the read.

— It's going to be tough.

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