Aside from being acquired in a trade that many consider a steal, Patrik Laine and the Montreal Canadiens could be a perfect fit for one key reason: head coach Martin St. Louis.
With the 26-year-old sniper experiencing a dip in his scoring prowess during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Laine seems eager for a fresh start in Montreal, and St. Louis might be just the person to help him rediscover that offensive firepower.
When asked what excites him most about the Monday move, Laine pointed to his recent discussions with Canadiens’ management, highlighting the influence of having a Hockey Hall of Famer behind the bench.
“I’m super excited to go to Montreal… I think they have a good thing going over there,” he told reporters on Monday afternoon. “Obviously, a great organization, a new really good head coach, a lot of young talent.”
While Laine has yet to have a one-on-one conversation with St. Louis, it’s clear that the coach — who played a key role in Cole Caufield’s development — is earning widespread respect across the league.
“I haven’t really talked to [St. Louis] yet. But everything I’ve heard about him has been all positive,” the Finland native noted. “Everybody knows what he did in this league as a player […] The guys like him, and I like the way they play.”
As for what he’s expecting out of himself, Laine, who has netted 50+ points on six separate occasions, was not shy to throw around some big stat projections for his first year with the Canadiens.
I don’t want to come back as a 30-goal scorer. I want to come back as a 40- to 50-[goal scorer],” he said. “I’ve done that previously and it’s not by accident, but it’s not just all about that. I want to come in and do whatever it takes to contribute to the team and make the team win.”
Signing a four-year, $34.8 million contract with the Blue Jackets in July 2022, the 6-foot-4 sniper brings an $8.7 million cap hit to the Canadiens, making him their highest-paid player behind goaltender Carey Price.