Patrik Laine eyeing long-term future with Canadiens, reveals NHL analyst - "Loves the way the team treats him"

Canadiens forward Patrik Laine could become a fixture in Montreal for the foreseeable future. Laine is entering the final year of his four-year, $34.8 million contract. He’s scheduled to become a UFA next summer. But Laine doesn’t seem keen on going anywhere, per an NHL analyst.

During the August 21 edition of the "Sick Podcast" with Tony Marinaro, Canadiens beat reporter Anthony Martineau discussed Patrik Laine’s future with the Habs. Martineau had this to say about Laine heading into the 2025-26 season:

“I thought he was in a very good mood, man. Yeah, I talked with him maybe for 10 minutes before the interview. I was alone with him. And honestly, it's not a brand new Patrik Laine , but I like seeing him like this, like joking, like very, very calm, very just enjoying the day, enjoying the fact that he was with a lot of kids, and he's confident for the next season, and he also want to stay in Montreal.”

The encouraging update suggests that Laine is looking to turn a corner and return to the form that made him a 40-goal scorer. Martineau reported that Laine has been hitting the gym and preparing himself physically for the grind of the regular season.

Martineau also added a highly encouraging bit of news:

"He's confident for the next season and he also wants to stay in Montreal. He loves the city, he loves the way the team treats him."

Check out Martineau’s comments here:

The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro

@thesickpodcasts

Patrik Laine eyeing long-term future with Canadiens, reveals NHL analyst - "Loves the way the team treats him"

Laine has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1. So far, no news has emerged about a potential deal. So, Canadiens fans may have to wait till the start of the season to hear about the 27-year-old’s future in Montreal.

Patrik Laine and wife walk down the runway for a good cause

Patrik Laine and wife Jordan, whom he married earlier this summer, walked down the runway at a Montreal fashion show on Wednesday. The event was spearheaded by the From Us to You organization.

Laine founded the initiative some time after his own mental health struggles. The situation prompted him to enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Since then, Laine has been an outspoken advocate for mental health initiatives.

The Montreal Gazette caught up with Jordan, who stated:

“It originally started when Patrik went into the Player Assistance Program and he took a break from hockey. When he did that, obviously, it’s a very difficult thing to do publicly and we were surprised that people were reaching out to us and saying, almost immediately, how impacted they were by Patty speaking up and saying he was struggling with mental health and taking a break and prioritizing himself and it made them feel that they could do that, too.”

The comments underscore the success of Laine’s efforts in helping others cope with their issues.

Patrik Laine added:

“I figured that if I myself am opening up about my life a little bit and my struggles, if that’s going to resonate with some people, that’s obviously great. If they can get some help in their own lives from my story and my struggles, then it’s already worth it. It’s a topic people don’t talk about enough. I figured I had a big platform that I could put to good use.”

The event featured numerous Montreal-area athletes and celebrities, including Canadiens teammates Alex Newhook, Jayden Struble, and Jakub Dobes.

Laine concluded his thoughts by declaring:

“I’m excited to get going again and hopefully play more games than last year.”

Laine had an injury-shortened season. But if all goes well, a 70 to 80-game season for Laine wouldn’t be out of the question.