This outlet predicted Patrik Laine would be traded to the Canadiens

It's always fun to look back after a big trade and see which reporters and outlets accurately predicted the move, and the Patrik Laine saga is no different. Surprisingly, though, many outlets including Canadian stalwart SportsNet didn't see the 26-year-old winger joining the Montreal Canadiens.

There was one outlet, however, that saw a union between Laine and the Habs as a potential fit long before others did. While many sports hubs liked Laine going to the Carolina Hurricanes or Seattle Kraken, Bleacher Report tapped Montreal as an ideal spot for him to land.

"This was based on their glaring need to bolster an offense whose 2.83 goals per game average last season was among the lowest in the NHL," an article from July 30 explained, following reports from The Athletic's Arpon Basu that Montreal was in the market for a sniper. "Acquiring Laine would be a gamble for the Canadiens, but it could pay off handsomely as it did when they acquired Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames two years ago."