Laine Stays Put: Montreal Canadiens Pass on Trade

0:00Here's more NHL news for March 21st. The Montreal Canadiens were looking to trade Patrick Lane before the deadline to free up cap space for bigger moves. They talked with the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs, and possibly others during the season. Inter surfaced in Toronto's Matthew Nies, but Montreal wasn't pushing that deal hard. In the end, no agreement happened, and Lane stayed put with the Canadians. The Maple Leafs were eyeing some major changes around that time, though details remained fuzzy. Lane's $8.7 million cap hit through this season, made him tough to move, even with retention. At 27 years old and a pending unrestricted free agent, he didn't align with Toronto's short-term playoff push. Leafs fans breathe a sigh of relief when the talks fizzled. Lane has struggled this season with just one assist, no goals, and a minus three rating in five games. His one-dimensional style and high price tag didn't excite many, especially with Toronto out of contention. This now suggests those conversations were mostly exploratory, what if chats, not serious

1:03negotiations. If it had been real momentum, it would have blown up as bigger news. Lane remains in Montreal for now, as the Canadians weigh their next steps this summer amid roster decisions.