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Patrik Laine hasn't yet played a regular-season game for the Montreal Canadiens, but the Finnish forward's Habs debut is getting closer. The 26-year-old was back on the ice at practice on Wednesday, the first time he had hit the ice since suffering a knee injury on September 28.
Laine skated by himself before practice at the team's facility in Brossard, Quebec before joining his teammates for around 15 minutes, according to NHL.com's Sean Farrell.
“I expect it's going to take him a little while to get back into it,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said afterwards, per Farrell. “You don't know exactly what it will be, is it a game? Is it two weeks? You don't know, so we'll see how it progresses.”
Laine participated in a couple of team drills in a noncontact jersey, leaving the ice soon after. The Finn collided with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare during a preseason tilt at the Bell Centre at the end of September. Choosing not to get surgery, Laine began skating at the beginning of November, and looks close to making his return.
Laine was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on August 19, along with a 2026 second-round pick, in return for defenseman Jordan Harris. He played just 18 games in 2023-24, breaking his clavicle in December and entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January.
He had chipped in six goals and nine points before exiting the lineup for good. In his prime, Laine was one of the better goal scorers in the NHL, although he's become a wildcard over the last few years.
Still, this is a former 44-goal scorer, and there's hope in Quebec that a change of scenery will help the player return to his near point-per-game form. That's even more important the way the Habs are playing this season.
Canadiens can't wait to have Patrik Laine in lineup
Although Montreal has been better over the last few games, the team remains 7-10-2 and dead last in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
A three win in four game stretch is certainly encouraging, but it was preceded by six straight defeats. The Habs are struggling to tread water in a crowded division, and one of the places that could improve is goal-scoring.
The Canadiens are currently scoring 2.84 goals per game — good enough for 18th place in the National Hockey League. It's not terrible by any means, but this squad could use an injection of scoring. And that's exactly what Laine will hope to provide once he's healthy and cleared to return to the lineup.
Although there's no firm timetable on his return, according to St. Louis, he could be an option in a matter of weeks. That will be a huge boost to the roster, and Laine would probably be even more motivated if he was selected to represent Team Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
The Canadiens have a couple of days off before returning to action against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night in the third of a four-game homestand.
