The Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings are among the teams who have considered signing unrestricted free agent Patrik Laine as the veteran winger continues to wait for a deal, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports.
Laine went unsigned this summer after being limited to just five games with the Montreal Canadiens last season after undergoing core muscle surgery in October.
Still just 28, Laine posted 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games with Montreal during the 2024-25 season and had a career-high 44 goals with the Winnipeg Jets back in 2017-18.
“There have been multiple teams calling at multiple times,” LeBrun explained Tuesday on Insider Trading. “But no one has been willing to say, ‘Okay we’re going to bite now.’
“It is strange. This guy is only 28 years old, and yeah, he was hurt most of last year, but that’s exactly the reason why he’s almost a financial loophole. He can sign a performance bonus-laden deal, so the only guaranteed money is his base salary.
“Think about it this way. For about $150,000 a month, you can get a seven-time 20-goal scorer.
“The Calgary Flames have kicked it around internally, but the Flames want to look at their young guys first for a while. So, whether or not they call back, we’ll see.
“Detroit has talked about it but so far Laine is skating in Florida, waiting for that phone to ring for good.”
The Flames may be running out of patience after opening the season with a 0-3-0 record while being outscored 16-3. Calgary’s 2020 first-round pick Connor Zary cleared waivers on Tuesday, potentially opening up a roster spot.
The Red Wings are 1-2-0 to start the season with seven goals for after Dylan Larkin helped spark the team to a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators in his season debut Tuesday.
Laine is coming off a four-year, $34.8 million contract that carried a cap hit of $8.7 million, with his next contract expected to fall significantly below that.
“Patrik is healthy, skating every day and feels really good,” Laine’s agent, Andy Scott, told LeBrun in The Athletic. “He’s only 28, has a lot of good hockey ahead of him and remains excited about his next opportunity. He’s focused on staying ready so that when the right situation presents itself, he can step in and contribute right away.”
LeBrun notes the Seattle Kraken also had interest early in the off-season, but did not have room for him in their forward group after re-signing Bobby McMann and trading for Mackie Samoskevich.
Drafted second overall by the Jets in 2016, Laine has 224 goals and 422 points in 537 career games split between the Winnipeg, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Canadiens.