Patrik Laine trade chatter spikes, and the Los Angeles Kings are the team to watch
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Bruce Raymond
Feb 23, 2026 (9:08 PM)
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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Patrik Laine trade rumors just slammed the Montreal Canadiens, with the Los Angeles Kings suddenly in the mix and the cap stakes feeling massive.
The latest buzz ties Laine to Los Angeles, after Marco D'Amico floated the idea of the Kings being the destination everyone should watch.
It is still a rumor, but it fits the way this league moves when scoring dries up and patience runs out.
For Montreal, the whole conversation starts with one question, are you getting top-six punch every night or just flashes on the man advantage.
The uncomfortable part is that the flashes have not been enough to quiet the noise around his five-on-five impact.
Los Angeles makes sense on the surface, because the Kings always hunt for finishers when their offense bogs down.
Montreal also has a clean reason to listen, because Laine's cap hit is $8.7 million and his deal is set to expire after this season.
This year, Laine has only 0-1-1 in 5 games, and that kind of line keeps the debate loud no matter how dangerous his shot looks.
Patrik Laine forces a decision for the Montreal Canadiens
Habs fans are split right now, because the rebuild finally feels like it is turning, and nobody wants a sideways step that messes with the room.
The Canadiens are sitting at 32-17-8, so this is not a tank-season deadline where you sell everything that moves.
That is why the Kings angle matters, it hints at a real hockey trade, not just a cap dump.
If Kent Hughes moves Laine, the opening is obvious, you can go shopping for a true top-six center or another impact winger.
The tricky part is timing, because moving a scorer right before a stretch run can sting if the power play cools off.
On the Kings side, the pitch is simple, give their top-six another release threat and hope the fit is cleaner than it has been in Montreal.
For the Canadiens, the upside is flexibility, and the risk is watching Laine pop off in California when the games get tight.
Either way, this rumor feels like the kind that either dies fast or explodes the moment one real phone call leaks.
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