The Patrik Laine trade has been made official, and unfortunately, the Los Angeles Kings have missed out on the sniper.
It was the Montreal Canadiens who won the sweepstakes.
The Columbus Blue Jackets wanted to get the deal over with, and when the Canadiens showed interest, the deal crossed the finish line.
The Blue Jackets also gave up a second-round draft pick in 2026 as part of the deal, since the Canadiens are taking on the entirety of Laine’s $8.7 million contract. In exchange, Montreal parted ways with defenseman Jordan Harris, who will join Columbus.
The Kings likely wouldn’t have been able to make this deal work because of Laine’s cap hit. However, if the Blue Jackets were willing to retain a portion of his AAV, then LA may’ve had a chance.
Unfortunately, they weren’t able to acquire Laine and now will continue to look elsewhere to add to their team.
