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Patrick Laine fires the puck against the Anaheim Ducks. Photo Credits: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Re-visiting the Patrik Laine Trade 1 Year Later

Originally posted on The Sick Podcast | By Nick Lariviere | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 12:41 PM ET

It has been officially one year since the Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Jordan Harris to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Patrik Laine and a 2026 2nd-round pick. While Laine’s first year with the Habs had its ups and downs, it’s safe to say he was an important part of the Canadiens’ success last season.

Laine came to Montreal after only playing 18 games in the 2023-24 season, and his value was at an all-time low, which is how the Canadiens were also able to get a 2nd rounder just for taking his full contract.

Sure, Laine wasn’t worth his $8.7M cap hit during his first season in Montreal, but he clearly showed that he wasn’t a complete liability. He managed to score a team-best 15 power-play goals in only 52 games, due to a knee injury that kept him out for the first two months of the season.

While Laine struggled at 5-on-5, the Canadiens were much better with him than without him, as they went 28-16-8 with him in the lineup, and were only 12-15-3 when he wasn’t playing. This is not that surprising to see, given that the Habs’ season only started to turn around in early December when Laine came back from his pre-season knee injury.

When Laine came back to the lineup, he was performing at an incredible pace during December, where he potted 8 power-play goals in 9 games between December 3rd and December 21st. After December, things cooled down, but still finishing with 20 goals in 52 games is an amazing feat for a player who looked as if he lost his interest in the game of hockey a year earlier in Columbus.

Fast forward to this past Sunday, where Laine said in an interview with a Finnish news outlet that playing in Montreal gave him his love for the game of hockey back.

Laine also claimed that he feels much better heading into the 2025-26 season as opposed to last year, due to having a full summer to train. In prior summers, Laine was either recovering from an injury or was in the Players Assistance program for his anxiety and depression last summer.

With a full, long summer, who knows exactly how well Laine will play as he hasn’t been this healthy since he was with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2019-20 regular season.

Voici mon montage créé par @MaiettaSports sur les meilleurs moments de Patrik Laine à l’entraînement aujourd’hui à Brossard.

Pour ma part, j’ai trouvé Patrik Laine encore plus à l’aise aujourd’hui sur patin. Aussi, dans les exercices à situation de match, sa créativité et sa… pic.twitter.com/8mttWQCXKb

— Pat Hockey (@PatouInfo) August 18, 2025

It seems like Laine has a lot he wants to prove to the Canadiens this upcoming season, as he has made it clear that he wants to be in Montreal with the hard work he has put in while also spending the summer in the city.

As for Jordan Harris, the Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t even qualify him after his one season with the team. Harris ended up signing with his hometown Boston Bruins earlier this summer.

The trade is looking great for the Canadiens as Patrik Laine truly seems like a fit with this team despite his defensive deficiencies. However, the obvious winner of last year’s trade is Laine himself, who has regained his love for hockey again.

I expect Laine to be even better this upcoming season, especially at even-strength, which could lead to another contract with the Habs for a bit of cheaper AAV. There likely isn’t a single Habs fan who dislikes the Harris-Laine trade. With Laine being dedicated to training this summer, this trade should only get better in year 2.

This article first appeared on The Sick Podcast and was syndicated with permission.

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