Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins are in a position that nobody—including themselves—expected them to be in at the Olympic break. Second in the Metropolitan Division, with an 85.5% chance of making the playoffs according to MoneyPuck, giving them the seventh-best odds of any team in the NHL to make the postseason.
As a result, the Penguins are being pushed to at least consider some soft buying before the March 6 trade deadline, without straying from the long-term vision that has fueled this turnaround. Because of that, speculation about potential targets has been heating up, with one name emerging: Patrik Laine.
Team reporter Dan Kingerski floated the idea in a recent Penguins trade targets article, highlighting the Montreal Canadiens winger as a cheap potential option.
“The Penguins would appear to be set at forward, but there are potential improvements and insurance policies necessary. There are as few scoring wingers as there are righty defensemen, so the pool is shallow. Montreal Canadiens sniper Patrik Laine is notably available for pennies when the Canadiens find a replacement.”
The 27-year-old Laine is a pending UFA in the fourth and final season of the four-year, $34.8 million extension originally signed with the Blue Jackets back in 2022. He’s appeared in just five games in 2025-26, with one point (one assist) produced in that time.
Patrik Laine Is a Worthy Gamble for the Penguins
Laine comes with some baggage and certainly some risk, but given the Penguins’ situation and the upside he can still provide, he makes a lot of sense as a potential low-risk, high-reward swing by Dubas.
As good as things have gone in Pittsburgh this season, there remain holes throughout the lineup. The forward core is a strength, particularly its depth, but what it’s still missing is more high-end talent and offensive pop—something Laine is still capable of bringing.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin continue to lead the charge, but they are, and always have been, playmakers first. Pair one of the most gifted goal scorers in the world alongside either of them, and an already dangerous team could become even better.
Laine’s biggest weapon is, of course, his shot on the power play. Some may wonder why the Penguins—fourth best in the league on the man advantage at 25.9%—would need that. Well, the numbers don’t tell the full story. After a red-hot start to the year, the top unit has cooled off considerably in recent weeks, and the lack of a pure shooter with the willingness to fire is the issue. Enter Laine.
There’s a case not to mess with chemistry and to avoid bringing in a question mark who’s dealt with so much injury trouble recently. But Pittsburgh wasn’t supposed to be here, and their core deserves one last shot at the postseason. So, if Dubas is going to make a move, there’s no better option than a low-cost, minimal-commitment pending UFA whose upside rivals just about any other player available.
Next: McDavid-Celebrini Duo Already Has Analysts Imagining an NHL Link-Up
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