- Patrik Laine is still unsigned nearly two weeks into free agency
- David Pagnotta names the Kings and Lightning as the frontrunners
- Read below for why his injury-shortened year makes him a cheap bet
Patrik Laine is still looking for a job.
Nearly two weeks into free agency, the former No. 2 overall pick remains unsigned, and the market for him is starting to take shape. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period pegs the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning as the frontrunners, with the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild also sniffing around.
Pierre LeBrun reported this week that there is a decent level of interest in Laine, and a big chunk of it comes down to how cheap he can be.
“There is a decent level of interest in pending UFA Patrik Laine. Because he spent more than 100 days on injured reserve this past season, he’s eligible for a performance bonus-based contract at a low AAV.”
LeBrun flagged that quirk months ago, back when Laine looked like a deadline candidate in Montreal:
Here is how it works. A player who piles up 100-plus days on IR can sign a deal loaded with performance bonuses on a low base salary. That lets a team take a swing with almost no cap risk. Analysts figure Laine lands a one-year contract somewhere between $1 million and $2.5 million, a long way down from the $8.7 million cap hit he carried the past few seasons.
The reason anyone bothers is the shot. Laine scored 20 goals in 52 games for the Canadiens in 2024-25, and 15 of them came on the power play. When his release is on, few players in the league match it.
Watch him rip a one-timer past Sergei Bobrovsky off a Lane Hutson feed last season:
The catch is the body. Laine dressed for just five games in 2025-26 and finished with a single assist before the injury issues took over his season. He will not be back in Montreal, and any team betting on him is betting on health more than talent.
Laine has headlined the list of available names since July 1, and a deal does not appear close. Whoever wins the race, the Kings or the Lightning or a surprise, is buying a former 44-goal scorer at clearance-rack money and hoping the knee holds up.
