Martin St-Louis’ latest move with Patrik Laine at practice strongly signals trade is coming

Let’s be honest: the Patrik Laine situation just took a rather awkward turn in Brossard.

Tuesday morning, the big Finnish forward was moved to defense during Martin St-Louis’ regular drills.

It was Karine Hains of The Hockey News who spotted this fairly unusual scene on the ice at the CN Sports Complex.

We can agree that for a sniper of his caliber, that is the ultimate message that management has turned the page.

Laine has practically become the team’s 16th or 17th offensive option at the moment.

With just 1 assist in 5 games this season, his offensive production has stalled.

Kent Hughes is certainly exploring his options for a trade before the March 6 deadline.

Patrik Laine’s usage at Canadiens practice raises fresh questions about his role

Trade rumors have also intensified significantly over the past 24 hours.

There has been considerable talk of strong interest from the Los Angeles Kings in trying to revive the 27-year-old forward.

Simply put, his time in Montreal appears to be limited based on his current usage at practice.

We will see if Suzuki and Slafkovsky return to action Wednesday, but the message sent Tuesday was crystal clear.

Do not be surprised if Patrik Laine has already taken his final strides in a Canadiens uniform.