Journalist Eric Engels believes the Canadiens' interest in Patrik Laine is very minimal
Patrik Laine is still a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but a trade remains likely within a few weeks at most.
It appears that trading the Finnish player is more challenging than anticipated.
This is why the new Blue Jackets GM, Don Waddell, recently stated that he is willing to help the team acquiring Laine by retaining part of his salary.
Patrik Laine at $6.5 million or $5.5 million is very different from a Laine at $8.7 million.
"Maybe we will end up retaining part of his salary. If I wanted to retain half of his salary, I would have already traded him, but that is not my first choice."
- Don Waddell
This salary retention could open the door for Kent Hughes to acquire the forward at a lower cost. However, new information from Sportsnet's Eric Engels suggests otherwise.
Eric Engels confirms that the Montreal Canadiens' interest in Patrik Laine is mixed and minimal at the moment
According to what the journalist revealed to Tony Marinaro during a recent edition of the Sick Podcast, the Canadiens have only a minimal interest in Laine.
The journalist believes that bringing Laine into the Montreal market, given that he recently exited the NHL's player assistance program, is not the best idea. Especially considering that Kent Hughes has worked hard to improve the locker room atmosphere in recent years.
It's also important not to think that Laine is on the trade market because he exited the assistance program. There are many other reasons, and the interested teams are well aware of his flaws, as he has been in the league for a long time.
Knowing this, Engels finds all the rumors linking the Finn to the Canadiens quite amusing. Yes, the Canadiens need a scorer, but Laine is not the one they currently need, even if he returns to dominance, something the journalist greatly hopes for.
It seems that Kent Hughes has done his due diligence inquiring, but it will likely end there...
Source: DansLesCoulisses
Patrik Laine : un «intérêt minimal» du Canadien
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Would you trade for Patrik Laine if you were GM of the Canadiens? | ||
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