Patrik Laine's IR stay wasn't stubbornness, it was for a completely different reason
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Pierre LeBrun revealed on X that Patrik Laine had real financial incentive to remain on injured reserve with the Montreal Canadiens.
A bonus-laden UFA contract with a lower base salary would make the former second overall pick far more appealing to cap-conscious teams this summer.
Under the rules implemented in September 2025, players with a minimum of 400 NHL games played who sign a one-year contract after spending at least 100 days on injured reserve become eligible for performance bonuses.
That eligibility normally belongs only to entry-level players and veterans 35 and older.
Laine has over 400 career games. He spent the vast majority of 2025-26 on IR after appearing in just five contests where he posted zero goals, one assist, and a minus-3 rating.
By remaining shelved through Montreal's playoff run to the third round against Carolina, he crossed the 100-day threshold and unlocked a contract structure most players his age cannot access.
Why the lower base changes everything
A team signing Laine to a one-year prove-it deal can now offer a base salary of $2 million or less and stack $3 to $4 million in performance bonuses on top.
The cap hit stays low during the season because performance bonuses only count against the ceiling once earned.
If Laine doesn't hit his targets, the team loses almost nothing. If he rediscovers his 44-goal form, the bonus overage carries into the following year when the cap is projected to keep rising.
That is a fundamentally different proposition than trying to trade for an $8.7 million cap hit at the deadline.
That price tag is exactly why no deal materialized in March.
The gamble both sides are making
Montreal gets nothing in return for a player they acquired from Columbus alongside a second-round pick.
Laine gets no audition tape from this season to show prospective suitors.
The entire bet rides on name recognition, the memory of 28 goals last season, and a contract structure that removes almost all risk from the team willing to take the swing.
The CBA made this possible - whether it pays off is a July 1 question.
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