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I don’t see him playing 40 games this year: Georges Laraque doesn’t believe in Laine

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 6:23 PM ET

This will be Patrik Laine’s second season with the Canadiens, and… it’s kind of hard to set expectations one way or the other. We know he has the talent to score a lot of goals – especially on the powerplay – because we saw him do it last season, but we also know that Patrik Laine is a “special” player. In the sense that, if he feels like playing, he can be dominant. But if he decides to take a night off, it can be more difficult. We saw that last campaign, too… In Georges Laraque’s eyes, though, it’s simple: Patrik Laine won’t play 40 games with the Habs next season. Georges sees him being traded during the season, as he said on his show during Maxime Truman’s appearance. He also sees Cole Caufield having a big season:

.@GeorgesLaraque bursts the fan bubble regarding Laine: “I don’t see him playing more than 40 games this year!” How about you? @stephgonzz @MaximeTruman #laine #Habs #ch pic.twitter.com/jrs02DYGMf

– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) September 2, 2025

[content-ads] Me, I have a feeling that if Georges Laraque is right…. It’s going to be tough for the Habs in 25-26, because if Patrik Laine is able to play 82 games, help the Canadiens offensively by scoring goals and having an important role on the powerplay, it could change things.

Any scorer of 30 goals or more can help in the NHL, we agree… That said, all summer long, we’ve been hearing great things about the sniper. I’ve seen him often in Brossard in recent weeks: Laine looks fitter than ever… and he seems motivated right now.

But that doesn’t mean things can work out to the point where he’ll have a spectacular season, and we all agree that would be great for the Canadiens… but if it doesn’t work out, if he starts dragging his feet or resumes his bad habits, the Canadiens will have a choice to make.

He’ll clearly be one of the most interesting players to watch this season in Montreal [spacer title=’Overtime’] – I love it!