Canadiens' Patrik Laine free agency continues to cause confusion

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The Montreal Canadiens and Patrik Laine had one of the oddest endings imaginable.

Laine played just five games in 2025-26 for the Habs, his final year under an expensive contract.

Now, he's a free agent.

Clearly, he was injured for at least some of his absence, but it was never really clear how badly or when he might have been available to come back.

So even before considering the future, everything about the ending was a little bit odd.

Add in the future, though, and it's even trickier.

Laine is a player with known talent, particularly on the power play. If he was fully healthy and had just put together a good season, he'd be one of the top players available and likely get a big contract.

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Instead, he's coming off this mystery season in which it's hard to know if anyone outside Montreal knows the scoop at all.

That could limit the number of suitors. It could also lower the dollar value considerably.

The one logical thing Laine could do is take one of those classic "prove-it" deals, where it's a one-year contract and if he plays well, he sets himself up for a bigger free agency in a year's time.

At this point, there hasn't even been much reporting. Laine remains the mystery man, even into his free agency.