Elliotte Friedman broke social media on Monday afternoon when he announced a Patrik Laine trade to the Montreal Canadiens was imminent. 14 minutes later, the deal was done. The Canadiens and Laine were linked as potential partners after Laine's requested trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, it looked like the deal wouldn't come to fruition.
Patrik Laine is a Montreal Canadien
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 19, 2024
The Montreal Canadiens traded Jordan Harris to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Laine and a second-round pick. The Blue Jackets lacked leverage thanks to Laine's trade request, which helped the Canadiens get him at a bargain.
Canadiens fans will now dream of a top six that includes Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, and Laine. Montreal's goal was to add more offensive depth to their roster this offseason, and they've done that better than they ever could've imagined.
A Winning Habit will keep this article updated as more details emerge.