Canadiens’ Patrik Laine avoids surgery, will miss 2-3 months with left knee sprain
The Montreal Canadiens announced on Tuesday that winger Patrik Laine will not require surgery for his left knee sprain, and is expected to only miss 2-3 months.
L'attaquant Patrik Laine souffre d'une entorse au genou gauche qui ne nécessitera pas de chirurgie. Sa période de réadaptation prévue est de deux à trois mois.
Forward Patrik Laine sustained a sprain to his left knee that will not require surgery. His rehabilitation period is… pic.twitter.com/sEPrSPDGHH
Laine was injured early in the first period of Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs when he skated into the offensive zone with his legs spread open, meaning that when Leafs center Cedric Pare went for a hit, he made primary contact on the 26-year-old’s knee. Laine left the game shortly after and did not return.
The update to Laine’s injury is relatively good news, as it means that he will return to the lineup much sooner than many thought. However, he’ll still miss a good chunk of the regular season, with his projected timeline for return seeing him miss between 20 to 40 games.
It’s not the start to the season Laine wanted though, especially after he missed most of the 2023-24 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In just 18 games with Columbus, he had 6 goals and 3 assists for 9 points, which was by far the fewest games he’s played, and fewest points he’s produced in a season. He missed most of last season due to a fractured clavicle injury, along with spending time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to prioritize his mental health and well-being.
Laine was the second-overall pick for the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft, and after making his NHL debut the following season, he spent parts of five seasons in Winnipeg before himself and Jack Roslovic were dealt to the Blue Jackets for Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick to the Blue Jackets early on in the 2020-21 season. He then spent parts of four seasons in Columbus before he was traded again this past summer to the Habs along with a second round pick for Jordan Harris.
Laine is currently in the third year of a four-year contract with an $8.7 million cap hit, one he signed during the 2022 offseason.
The Canadiens currently find themselves 2-2-0 during the preseason, with wins over the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils before suffering back-to-back losses to the Maple Leafs. Montreal next gets into action on Tuesday when they host the Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m.