Projecting Patrik Laine’s Future After This Season
Canadiens forward Patrik Laine is headed for free agency this summer. Despite a limited free agent market, he isn’t expected to attract much interest after another season marred by injuries.
Laine has only played five games this season, with just one assist, and until the trade deadline, he was a frequent topic of trade rumors as Montreal hoped to clear salary. Reports indicate he was mentioned in discussions with both the Maple Leafs and Flyers.
Laine hasn’t been a good fit with the Canadiens, and as summer approaches, it’s almost certain he will be wearing a different NHL jersey next season, likely at a cap hit significantly lower than his current $8.7MM salary. The question remains whether NHL teams will be interested and whether a good fit exists for the 2016 second overall pick.
Despite the injuries and inconsistencies that have challenged Laine’s career over the past half-decade, his shot remains among the best in the NHL, especially from long range, where he continues to be an elite scorer even if he hasn’t displayed his full skill set this year. Last season, Laine scored 20 goals in just 52 games, and he still likely projects as a 20- to 25-goal scorer despite limitations in nearly every other aspect of his game.
But that is the core issue with Laine: he is limited in what he can do, and his analytics away from the puck are appalling. This will cause many NHL teams to hesitate before considering him a viable free-agent target.
Laine has long been a liability in puck possession, and it wasn’t any better last season, when he was mainly used in an offensive role but still hindered his teammates’ possession. Given his health concerns, especially regarding his skating and agility, it’s unlikely these metrics will improve. This means any team that acquires Laine will need to isolate and shelter him, which is acceptable if he is earning close to the league minimum on a one-year deal.
When considering comparables, there aren’t many. In fact, this year, AFP Analytics can’t even project Laine’s potential contract for the 2026-27 season because there isn’t enough information available on Laine, which makes sense given that he’s only played five games this season.
A potential comparison who is by no means an exact match would be Anthony Mantha of the Penguins, who is currently earning $2.5MM on a one-year “prove it” deal he signed last summer. Mantha had a consistent track record of scoring 20 goals before last season, but he suffered a season-ending ACL injury and missed most of the year with the Calgary Flames. After posting just seven points in 13 games with Calgary, the 31-year-old bet on himself last summer, and it appears to be paying off as he looks set to be one of the top UFAs available this summer, which should give him a chance at a long-term contract in the coming years.
Although Mantha and Laine are very different players, there aren’t many better comparisons, but Jeff Skinner provides another example of what free agency could mean for Laine. Skinner has spent the last two seasons signing one-year, $3MM contracts as a UFA. However, like Mantha, he is over 30, at 33. Similar to Laine, Skinner is a fairly one-dimensional offensive player who can score goals but does little else, especially away from the puck, where he’s not exactly a Selke Trophy candidate.
Looking at Mantha and Skinner as reasonable comparables, since both are wingers, have notable flaws in their games, and can score, what can Laine expect in free agency? Mantha received a one-year, $2.5MM deal last summer, while Skinner signed a one-year, $3MM contract with San Jose.
Laine has several factors that position him above Mantha and Skinner. Laine was the second overall pick; he’s three years younger than Mantha was during his recent free agency and five years younger than Skinner. There’s a solid argument that Laine is a purer goal scorer than both Mantha and Skinner, which is mainly shown by his NHL career goal numbers. All these points suggest that Laine deserves a larger payday than both Mantha and Skinner.
But Mantha is arguably a more complete player than Laine, and Skinner has a longer track record of scoring goals than Laine. Those factors will work against Laine, but overall, he probably deserves a more substantial one-year contract than Mantha or Skinner received last summer. That said, this is a very thin free-agent crop, and teams will be desperate on July 1st to add scoring, which could make Laine appealing to more than one team despite the warts on his resume.
Where Laine ends up remains uncertain, but some contending teams facing the salary cap hurdle would likely be interested in acquiring a motivated, scoring forward at a low cost. Colorado and Dallas come to mind as possible destinations, as do the Penguins, who may lose Mantha to free agency unless they can negotiate a deal. In any case, Laine desperately needs to find a suitable fit if he wants to secure another lucrative NHL contract.
Kings Circling Back On Patrik Laine
The Kings were reported to have a degree of interest in Canadiens winger Patrik Laine last month after losing Kevin Fiala to a season-ending leg injury at the Olympics. Those talks quickly fizzled out, but after another rash of injuries in L.A., they’ve demonstrated renewed interest in the former 40-goal scorer, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
As things stand, the Kings’ injury list has effectively derailed their chances of making the playoffs, even after swinging a trade for Artemi Panarin last month. One of their better scoring options, Andrei Kuzmenko, had surgery to repair a torn meniscus last weekend and is effectively done for the regular season. They also recently lost Joel Armia to injured reserve and are now dealing with an upper-body injury to Quinton Byfield.
That’s a third of the Kings’ regular forwards unavailable, not including Trevor Moore, who’s currently dealing with an illness. To no surprise, they’re 1-3-0 coming out of the break while only averaging 2.25 goals per game. They fired head coach Jim Hiller on Sunday and promoted associate coach D.J. Smith as the interim head coach to finish out the year, but lost 4-2 to the Avalanche in their first game under Smith last night.
As things stand, the Kings are only four points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand, but have three teams – the Predators, Sharks, and Oilers – to leapfrog in that order – to get back into the picture. The crowded field leaves them with a 27.7% chance of making the playoffs at this stage, per MoneyPuck.
Scoring isn’t just a recent problem for the Kings, though. L.A.’s offense has clicked at just 2.52 goals per game, fourth-worst in the league. Their 16.8% success rate on the power play isn’t much better at 26th out of 32 teams. Panarin has yet to score since his acquisition, but does have three assists in four games.
Still, the situation is untenable with Fiala and Kuzmenko now out long-term. That’s led general manager Ken Holland to consider a reclamation hail-mary project like Laine, who will carry little to no acquisition cost thanks to his exorbitant $8.7MM cap hit destroying most of his trade value. The Habs, in desperate need of cap flexibility to augment their roster at the trade deadline, have been trying to move him for weeks to no avail. He hasn’t played since late October due to core muscle surgery, but has been practicing in a non-contact jersey since January, so he’s on the verge of a return and could be simply held out of the lineup for trade protection at this point.
Laine was a non-factor to start the year with one assist and a -3 rating in five games. He was nonetheless an effective secondary scoring presence in a more limited role in Montreal last season despite missing nearly 30 games with a left knee sprain. He had 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games for the Habs last year. That works out to a 0.38 goals per game figure that would currently lead the Kings.
If healthy, the pending free agent could get a long leash in the Kings’ top nine and feature on their top power-play in an effort to give them enough offense to eke out a heater over the last few weeks.
Trade Notes: Kane, Pettersson, Laine
On the trade market for nearly a month, the expectation remains that Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane will be moved in the next few days before the trade deadline. On Insider Trading, TSN’s Chris Johnston reported renewed interest in Kane from playoff-bound teams after the Olympic break.
He didn’t provide an exhaustive list, but Johnston stated that the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, among others, have each inquired about Kane to some capacity. Johnston doesn’t expect the price to be all that high, and he indicated that the Canucks have no issue retaining half of Kane’s salary for the rest of the season, making him much more financially palatable.
There’s no question that Kane has had a disappointing season by his standards, scoring nine goals and 25 points in 56 games with a -18 rating, averaging 16:50 of ice time per game. Still, he remains a physical middle-six winger who’s one year removed from scoring six goals and 12 points in 21 postseason games for the Edmonton Oilers.
Additional trade notes:
- On Insider Trading, TSN’s Darren Dreger spoke briefly about Kane’s teammate, Elias Pettersson. Although there is heightened interest in Pettersson, Dreger shared that the Canucks haven’t received any legitimate offers for their first-line center and haven’t had any reason to contact Pettersson or his agency about waiving his full no-movement clause. After scoring 73 goals and 191 points in 162 games from 2022 to 2024, Pettersson has only registered 28 goals and 79 points in 113 games since, making him a difficult player to assess. Factoring in his $11.6MM cap hit through the 2031-32 season, it’s becoming increasingly likely that Vancouver won’t find a suitable offer.
- After the injury to winger Kevin Fiala in the Olympics, the Los Angeles Kings have a near-drastic need for a scoring winger if they have any hopes of reaching the playoffs this year. One player that has been mildly linked to Los Angeles in the last few days is Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine, though that no longer appears to be in the cards. According to Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period, the Kings checked in on Laine over the last few days, but no longer believe there’s a fit between the two. Bernstein didn’t clarify if the Kings were turned off by the price, Laine’s injury history, a combination of the two, or something else entirely.
East Notes: Penguins, Laine, Flyers
As teams return to practice today, some without notable members still competing in the Olympics, several updates have emerged. In Pittsburgh, Kris Letang told the media, including Michelle Crechiolo, Penguins team reporter, that he is nearing 100% from his lower body injury. It’s expected that he’ll be ready for February 26 against the Devils, but not yet certain.
The 38-year-old had to miss the club’s last four games going into the Olympic break. Letang had a rough start to his 20th season with Pittsburgh, leading to questions on his outlook. Since then, the stalwart has still played heavy minutes, 22:06 a night, just behind Erik Karlsson. His 50.5% corsi at even strength is a slight improvement from last season, but still a step below the norm. Currently +3 with 25 points in 50 games, Letang has turned the corner from last season’s -15, 30 point output.
Symbolic of the team’s rebound as a whole, Letang’s Penguins are closing in on ending their three year postseason drought, as they have the opportunity to go on what could be one last dance as an unforgettable era winds down.
Also in Pittsburgh, Filip Hallander returned to practice, as reported by Crechiolo. The forward hasn’t played since November, missing 42 games from a blood clot in his leg. At 25 years old, the former second round pick is just getting off the ground in his NHL career, with all four of his career points coming this season. The timing of his ailment was especially unfortunate, costing him a chance to play in his native Sweden in the Global Series.
Elsewhere across the conference:
- Canadiens winger Patrik Laine missed today’s practice due to a lower body injury, per the team. He is still working his way back from core muscle surgery, not having played since October. Noted as a likely trade candidate last week, Laine’s days in Montreal seem to be nearing an end, although his $8.7MM price tag will be difficult to work through. The 27-year-old former 40 goal scorer will be an intriguing free agent this summer, but unfortunately his health is a major factor. Laine hasn’t dressed in more than 68 games in a campaign since 2018-19. His Habs return to action February 26 against the Islanders.
- Along with goaltender Carson Bjarnason, who was recalled earlier today, Flyers prospects Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald will join the team for practice this week, according to Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Bonk, a first round selection in 2023, made a case to make the team right out of the OHL but was injured in camp. Finally activated in early December, he has just six points in 22 games, indicative that seasoning is needed for the team’s top blueliner prospect, who has second pairing potential. On the other hand, McDonald, a former sixth round pick, has a more limited upside at the highest level but at 6’4” he brings serious physicality. Both defenseman are awaiting their NHL debut.
Canadiens Likely To Trade Patrik Laine After Olympics
For the past few weeks, winger Patrik Laine has been a full participant at most Montreal Canadiens practices as he works his way back from core muscle surgery. However, assuming he’s medically cleared to play after the Olympics, there’s little expectation that it’ll be with the Canadiens.
In a recent article, Eric Engels of Sportsnet strongly implied Laine wouldn’t play for Montreal again this season, writing, “If the 27-year-old Finn sees any post-Olympics action, we expect it to be for someone other than the Canadiens.” That suggests that Montreal will quickly begin trade negotiations regarding Laine, if they haven’t already.
Unfortunately, the major hangup in any Laine trade is his bloated salary. Laine’s cap hit sits at $8.7MM through the end of the season, and he’s earning a $9.1MM salary. Although the cap hit has received much scrutiny, Laine was coming off a 26-goal, 56-point performance in 56 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, was only 23 years old at the time, and had already scored 250 points in 306 games for the Winnipeg Jets.
Still, there’s no question he hasn’t lived up to that contract. He had a decent follow-up performance with the Blue Jackets, but injuries have derailed him since. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Laine has played in only 75 games, which is 33.9% of the total possible contests.
He was a quality secondary scorer for the Canadiens last season, registering 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games. 15 of his goals were scored on power plays, making him less effective at even-strength. This season, due to the core muscle surgery, Laine has tallied only one assist in five games.
As Engels points out, Montreal would undoubtedly have to eat some of Laine’s remaining salary, and may even need to attach an additional sweetener. According to Engels, that’s not something the Canadiens are keen to do.
Unfortunately, the Canadiens won’t have much wiggle room until Laine is entirely off the roster come July 1st. Given the organization’s need for cap space, it would make little sense to swap Laine for another bad contract, especially one signed beyond this season. Despite his lack of availability over the past few years and his subpar play at even strength, there are a few teams with ample cap space to take a flyer on Laine down the stretch.
As it stands, the Detroit Red Wings, Seattle Kraken, New York Islanders, and Los Angeles Kings are all teams battling for a playoff spot, averaging below three goals per game. The Red Wings and Kraken might be less interested in a player like Laine, given that their power plays are among the league’s best. Furthermore, the Kings are counting on Artemi Panarin to offset the offensive shortcomings, whom they acquired before the Olympic break.
That leaves the Islanders, who are currently third in the Metropolitan Division, 24th in GF/G, and 30th in power-play percentage. Would the Canadiens be interested in a different expiring asset, like Jean-Gabriel Pageau, to deepen their center depth? Acquiring a secondary scorer like Pageau may at least make it more palatable for Montreal to eat salary and attach a draft pick to Laine. New York has some flexibility with their salary cap, so the Canadiens may only need to eat a few million dollars, giving them most of what they are looking for.
Still, the immediate question that comes to mind is Laine’s perceived fit in Patrick Roy‘s scheme. Contextualized by his public battles with Anthony Duclair over the past few years, there is a zero-tolerance policy in New York for taking a shift off.
Evening Notes: O’Connor, Laine, McCarron
Colorado Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar told reporters earlier today, including Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports, that Logan O’Connor has resumed skating and is progressing. Bednar also emphasized that the upcoming Olympic break will benefit the forward as he works toward a debut this season.
The 29-year-old has been out long term after undergoing hip surgery in June, the second such procedure since 2024. Signed to an extension through the 2030-31 season, when healthy, the Avalanche are banking on the undrafted O’Connor to be a relentless bottom six forward with strong defensive capabilities and penalty killing. He is firmly a 20-30 point contributor at this point, but not needed for more on the high flying team.
Even without him, the Avalanche rank comfortably in first place, and O’Connor will be a classic case of “Trade Deadline at Home”, rejoining the team just in time for a run this spring.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Canadiens forward Patrik Laine is not expected to return tomorrow against his former club at Winnipeg, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet. The sniper will have to look past the Olympic break to make a return, after undergoing surgery in October, and not playing since. In just five games prior to going down, Laine recorded just one helper, as he continues to have highs and lows. The 27-year-old will be in a fascinating spot once healthy, as Montreal is holding firm playoff position without him and may not be so keen to shake up their lineup. On the flip side, the former 40-goal-scorer is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and will be anxious to showcase his worth for a new opportunity, likely elsewhere.
- Nashville Predators pending free agent Michael McCarron has interest from “a lot” of teams, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, shared on yesterday’s episode of the Real Kyper & Bourne podcast. The 30-year-old was listed as a possible trade candidate last week, and now a market is taking shape which may prove enough to sway Nashville to part with their respected grinder. A face-off specialist standing at 6’6″ with serious physicality and just a $900k cap hit, the former first-round pick of Montreal isn’t necessarily a “must” trade, given his improvement as a Predator, but GM Barry Trotz, who made headlines with his sudden resignation announcement yesterday, would be wise to capitalize on a seller’s market where a second or third round pick isn’t entirely out of possibility.
Patrik Laine Out Three To Four Months
A tough start to the season for Canadiens winger Patrik Laine just got even tougher. The team announced that he has undergone surgery to repair a core muscle injury. As a result, he will miss the next three to four months.
This is Laine’s second season with Montreal after he was acquired from Columbus in the 2024 offseason. It’s also now the second straight season that he has sustained a significant injury early on. Last season, a preseason knee injury cost him a couple of months of action and this one could keep him out for twice as long.
While Laine got through training camp healthy this time, it didn’t take long for him to drop down the depth chart. While he started the year on Montreal’s second line, he was down to fourth-line minutes at five-on-five within a couple of weeks. As a result, he was limited to just one assist through five games while averaging just 12:36 per night, a career low in that regard. He didn’t accompany the team on their four-game Western road trip while getting a second opinion on his injury; clearly, that second opinion concurred with the first with him undergoing surgery soon after.
Last season, Laine made an immediate impact when he returned to the lineup, tallying 15 power play goals. In doing so, he was among the league leaders in that regard despite missing 29 games while he helped Montreal’s power play get closer to the middle of the pack. However, his playing time and effectiveness waned down the stretch and into the playoffs where he was injured partway through their series against Washington.
This is a contract year for Laine, who carries a cap charge of $8.7MM, tops among Canadiens forwards. It’s fair to say his hopes of a big payday next summer have taken another hit as he’ll now miss more than half the season; that, coupled with his struggles at full strength, don’t bode well for him on the open market. That said, because he should wind up missing 100 days because of this injury and has more than 400 career NHL appearances, Laine should be eligible for a one-year contract with performance incentives next summer. That might be the best route to go for him, one that would allow him to maximize his compensation should he stay healthy while providing the signing team – be it Montreal or someone else in free agency – with less risk in signing him.
For Montreal, since they have over $4MM in cap space at the moment per PuckPedia, an LTIR placement wouldn’t make any sense for them. Since Laine is expected to return this season, the maximum amount of LTIR space they could amass is $3.82MM, not his full cap charge so, barring a rash of further injuries, don’t expect him to be moved to LTIR. As of yet, the Canadiens haven’t moved him to regular injured reserve although that is merely a formality for whenever they need to open up a roster spot.
Snapshots: Laine, Ristolainen, Hill, Barron, Khaira
Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine has struggled with injury issues throughout his NHL career, and unfortunately 2025-26 has been no different. The Canadiens announced on Saturday that Laine would be out with a lower-body injury on a day-to-day basis, and given that day-to-day designation, it appeared this Laine absence would be relatively straightforward. But today, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported that Laine “has gone for a second opinion on his lower-body injury,” and although he’s still listed as day-to-day, the report raises questions about whether he could be looking at a more extended absence.
It’s an important time for Laine and the future of his career as he nears the expiry of his $8.7MM AAV deal. Laine is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer, and there were times during his debut campaign where he looked like he’d found a long-term place to play with the Canadiens. He scored 20 goals and 33 points, and was particularly lethal on the power play, but injuries limited him to just 52 games. With Ivan Demidov almost certain to command a first-unit power play spot at some point down the line, and Zachary Bolduc‘s addition already moving Laine down to the second unit, it’s fair to question if the Canadiens have a place for Laine going into the future. He has gotten off to a slow start this season with just one point in five games, and a potentially longer-term absence could further complicate things. For a player who has at times looked like, and performed like, a star in the NHL, today’s report is an undoubtedly discouraging development.
Other notes from across the NHL:
- Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has not made his 2025-26 debut yet as he recovers from the season-ending surgery he underwent earlier this year, and today DailyFaceoff’s Anthony Di Marco reported that the player is targeting a return at some point in December. Ristolainen was the Flyers’ No. 2 defenseman by ice time last season, playing in 20:31 per night including a role on both special teams units. So far this season, right-shot blueliner Jamie Drysdale is playing nearly two additional minutes per night compared to what he played last season, likely in part due to Ristolainen’s absence. The Flyers have gotten off to a decent 3-2-1 start, and getting Ristolainen back in December should only boost their competitive chances.
- The Vegas Golden Knights recalled netminder Carl Lindbom today as part of their response to the injury suffered by starting goalie Adin Hill, and it was confirmed today by head coach Bruce Cassidy that Hill would be out on a week-to-week basis. (Report via Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) Cassidy added that Hill won’t travel with the team on its road trip to Florida and North Carolina, a trip that concludes Oct. 31 with Vegas’ home game against the Colorado Avalanche. It’s an unfortunate development for Hill, who has played in five games so far this season to a .888 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average.
- One of the breakout players of this early portion of the 2025-26 Winnipeg Jets season, Morgan Barron, will be out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, according to The Athletic’s Murat Ates. Barron, as mentioned, has been one of the Jets’ more productive players so far this season. The hefty 6’4″ forward has scored three goals and five points in six games, which already puts him one-third of the way to his scoring total from 2024-25, one he managed across 74 games. With Barron injured, Parker Ford is likely to draw into the lineup in Barron’s vacated fourth-line role.
- 337-game NHL veteran Jujhar Khaira played out 2024-25 on an AHL contract, and a mid-season trade to the Abbotsford Canucks allowed Khaira to help the Canucks to a Calder Cup championship. Khaira hasn’t found a team for 2025-26, but today Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reported that the Canucks “are talking” with Khaira “about re-joining the team.” Assuming they’re talking about a potential AHL contract, it’s unlikely Khaira would be a cheap addition to the AHL payroll as a player with so much NHL experience and a Calder Cup championship on his résumé.
Canadiens Announce Multiple Injuries, Recall Owen Beck
While the Canadiens pulled off a comeback victory on Thursday against Nashville, it came at a cost as three players are now injured. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury while center Kirby Dach and winger Patrik Laine are day-to-day with lower-body injuries as well. In a corresponding move, center Owen Beck has been recalled from AHL Laval on an emergency basis.
Guhle had gotten off to a solid start to the season, playing alongside Lane Hutson on Montreal’s second pairing. He had a goal and an assist through the first five games while adding five blocks and 16 hits in a little over 19 minutes a night. Guhle has missed at least a dozen games due to injuries in each of his first three NHL campaigns and that streak will now be extended with this injury. After being scratched on Thursday, Arber Xhekaj will take Guhle’s place in the lineup while the Canadiens will likely recall a defenseman in the near future to give them a seventh option.
Dach, meanwhile, is working his way back from a knee injury that ended his 2024-25 campaign prematurely. After managing his usage in the preseason, the Canadiens have limited his minutes a bit early on as he’s logging just 14:29 per night where he has a goal and an assist while anchoring their third line. As for Laine, he’s off to a quiet start in his contract year with just one assist through his first five appearances while predominantly playing on the fourth line. That’s not an ideal start but now this day-to-day injury will give him a quick reset.
Beck was one of Montreal’s final training camp cuts for the second straight season after Oliver Kapanen beat him out for the final spot on the roster. He has played in three games with AHL Laval so far this season, picking up a goal and an assist. Beck had 44 points in 64 games with the Rocket in his rookie year while also getting into a dozen games with the Canadiens where he had one assist.
Evening Notes: Laine, Salary Cap, 84-Game Schedule
Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine has a path to more minutes this season, after averaging a career-low 14:18 in ice time last season. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes met with Laine to discuss areas he could focus growing in to earn a hardier role in the lineup, shares Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.
Laine finished the season with 20 goals in 52 games, but Montreal was also outscored 17-to-26 when Laine was on the ice at even-strength. Questions about Laine’s effort outside of the defensive zone have existed since his rookie season, but it’s hard not to imagine those are the attributes the Canadiens would like to see more. Finding an added step towards opponents in the defensive zone, and winning more battles in the dirty areas of the ice, would go a long way towards helping the 6-foot-4 Laine fit in with an otherwise undersized top-six. Laine reached the 30-goal mark in each of his first three seasons in the NHL, and could be a real X-factor in the Canadiens lineup should he take the necessary strides.
Other notes from around the league:
- NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly elaborated on upcoming changes to the league’s use of long-term injured reserve in an interview at the NHL’s pre-season coaches/GM meeting. He received many questions on the league’s new rule that playoff lineups must be cap-compliant. That includes one from Engels, who asked if there would be exceptions made for players working back from injury who are game-time decisions. Daly did not have an answer, other than to say that the league will answer that question in the future. The Stanley Cup playoffs are eight months away, allowing for plenty of time for the league to continue sorting out how they want to carry out changes to the CBA.
- More light has also been shed on the league’s upcoming shift to an 84-game schedule, set to begin in the 2026-27 season. With that expansion, the season will be slated to begin in late-September and end in mid-June, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The shift to an earlier start to the season will be welcomed by many hockey fans, though a heavier workload will keep the season’s end tight to the NHL Draft and start of free agency on July 1st. That will be bittersweet news for many, especially NHL front offices, who have recently urged for a longer break between the end of the season and start of free agency.