The Montreal Canadiens are expecting winger Patrik Laine to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the New York Islanders, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.

It will be Patrik Laine's debut for the Canadiens. He suffered an injury in the preseason against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to a knee-on-knee collision, and that has kept him out of the lineup since. The Canadiens acquired Laine in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets this offseason, and they were expecting him to play a significant role on this year's team. Now, Laine will try to make an impact and help the Canadiens dig out of the hole they have dug themselves with their 8-13-3 start to the season.

The Canadiens are currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with their record, and only have more points than the 8-15-2 Chicago Blackhawks. It is a young team, but Montreal hopes that the group can grow, and that Laine is a boost for them.

Patrik Laine's career track record before joining Canadiens

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Laine last played in an NHL game on Dec. 14, 2023 with the Blue Jackets. He suffered a broken clavicle and also had a stint with the NHL Player's Assistance program that has kept him off of the ice in a regular season game since then.

Before playing with the Blue Jackets, Laine came into the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets and was an immediate impact player in 2016-2017 after being selected in the top five of the NHL Draft. He scored 36 goals and had 64 points in his first season, according to NHL.com. Eventually, he was traded alonside Jack Roslovic to the Blue Jackets in return for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Laine did not find immediate success with the Blue Jackets, as he put up 21 points in 45 games in his first season. Reliability continued to be a concern for Laine in Columbus, as over the next two seasons, he played 56 and 55 games each. He produced at a near point-per-game pace over those two seasons, so the potential is still there. He played just 18 games last season before suffering the injury and entering the assistance program.

The Canadiens are hoping that a change of scenery helps Laine recapture what he was earlier in his career. It is a fresh start for him where he should have an opportunity to be one of the top scorers on the team, and he could step into a leadership role on a young team that is looking to learn how to win.