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Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine has exited Saturday night's preseason showdown versus the Toronto Maple Leafs at home with an apparent lower-body injury. The 26-year-old Laine was trying to control the puck and enter the offensive zone in just the opening period of the contest when he figured into a knee-on-knee collision with Maple Leafs center Cedric Pare. The incident left Laine writhing in pain on the ice, prompting fans and experts to suspect a serious injury suffered by the Finnish star.
“Awful seeing that,” Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic said following the sight of Laine's injury.
LeBrun also questioned whether playing more preseason games, which are ultimately meaningless, is worth it amid the risk of injuries to players.
“You feel for Laine. And you also wonder again why so many useless pre-season games are needed in this day and age. I know why, HRR, but the NHL and NHLPA really need to think about reducing pre-season games in next CBA in 2 yrs.”
After missing most of the 2023-24 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Patrik Laine was traded to the Canadiens along with a second-round pick in 2026 in exchange for Jordan Harris.
In a statement released by the Canadiens, the team announced that Laine will not be returning for the remainder of the preseason action versus the Maple Leafs.
Canadiens' Patrik Laine has been plagued by injuries
Laine is coming off a season where he battled injuries that caused him to miss a big portion of his final year with the Blue Jackets. Interestingly enough, the clavicle injury he suffered in December of 2023 also happened in a game against the Maple Leafs. Following that injury, Laine went to the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Laine appeared in only 18 games last season for the Blue Jackets, scoring six goals and dishing out three assists.
Many expected that Laine's trade to the Canadiens would give him the fresh start he seemed to need in order to get his career a spark. This latest injury he sustained certainly will not help Laine establish that kind of career restart. For now, the hope is that Laine's injury is not serious enough to keep him out for an extended period of time. The Canadiens have two more preseason games left to play after this date with the Maple Leafs. They will make their 2024-25 NHL regular season opener on Oct. 10 at home against the Maple Leafs.
Selected second-overall at the 2016 NHL draft by the Winnipeg Jets, Laine has scored 204 goals and recorded 184 assists so far in his NHL career.
