The Montreal Canadiens are already dealing with serious injuries during the pre-season. Defensive prospect David Reinbacher is out five-to-six months after undergoing knee surgery. In the same game, Patrik Laine suffered a leg injury. The team announced that Laine will not need surgery on his knee.
“Forward Patrik Laine sustained a sprain to his left knee that will not require surgery,” the Canadiens posted on social media. “His rehabilitation period is expected to be from two to three months.”
While it is certainly not the beginning of Laine's Montreal tenure everyone imagined, this is far from the worst-case scenario. Laine showed up to a recent practice on crutches, launching fans into a panic. Thankfully, the forward will be able to return this season, and he shared his excited reaction to this big update on his Instagram story.
The Canadiens traded for Laine before training camp opened, giving up a second-round pick and defenseman Jordan Harris. While he won't be ready for opening night, the goal-scoring winger will help Montreal power out of their rebuild.
Since their unlikely run to the Cup Final in 2021, the Canadiens have not made the playoffs. President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton and General Manager Kent Hughes have added to the club but to no avail. Laine and Reinbacher were supposed to be keys to making the postseason again.
Outlook for Canadiens in 2024-25 with Patrik Laine injury
The lone piece of good injury news for the Canadiens is the return of center Kirby Dach. The former Blackhawks first-rounder came to Montreal last off-season and injured his ACL in the second regular-season game of last year. He has played this pre-season with Alex Newhook and Laine. We'll wait and see who his new linemate is.
With no Laine, Reinbacher, or Dach, the Canadiens managed only 76 points last season, second-worst in the Eastern Conference. They did get rewarded with the fifth-overall selection at the NHL Draft. They selected Russian forward Ivan Demidov, who they hope will join this top six in the coming years.
The Canadiens may be headed toward another season like last year with these injuries. Their lone hope for this season lies in their goaltending. Sam Montembault and Cayden Primeau will be one of the youngest duos in the league on opening night. If they emerge as stars in net, then the Habs could be a surprise playoff team this spring,
Patrik Laine will be back around New Year's which is ideal for the Canadiens. They can give young prospects some run in the early stages of the season and get Laine time with his future linemates down the stretch. Keep an eye on the Habs as they can surprise some people with their young roster.
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