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Although Patrik Laine is currently on the shelf with a knee injury, the Montreal Canadiens sniper could play for Team Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off next February, their general manager confirmed.
“At this point, there is another month and we’ll see where we are at, for everybody,” Jere Lehtinen told NHL.com's Shawn P. Roarke during the 2024 NHL Global Series in Tampere, Finland. “It’s about health and how the players look and how they are playing. When it is time, then we’ll know. Right now, we haven’t made any decisions.”
The Finnish executive continued: “It’s too bad for [Laine], of course, with how the last season went, and it would have been nice to see how he would have played this season in Montreal. Hopefully he comes back soon. Everybody wants to see him. Let's wait a month and we'll see.”
It's been a difficult couple of years for Laine, who hasn't played a regular-season game since December of 2023. He fractured his clavicle against the Toronto Maple Leafs while still a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 14, and entered the NHL/NHLPA's Player Assistance Program the next month.
Laine was traded to the Canadiens in the offseason along with a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. But he suffered a knee injury in a preseason tuneup on September 28 and has been out since. His original timeline for a return was 2-3 months.
There's certainly a chance that Laine will be healthy enough to suit up for his country early next year. But will there be a spot for the 26-year-old?
Patrik Laine still has a strong case for Team Finland
Although Laine hasn't played a single regular-season game in almost a calendar year, he remains in contention for a spot on Team Finland — especially with the front half of the tournament taking place at the Bell Centre.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft has amassed 204 goals and 388 points in 480 regular-season contests split between the Winnipeg Jets and Blue Jackets. Laine has also been a staple for his country internationally, recording 12 points in 13 games at the senior level, per Roarke.
Still, there are a lot of good Finnish players to choose from, and there will certainly be some tough decisions for Lehtinen and his staff to make.
“Maybe not pressure, but we know it’s coming pretty quick,” he said. “It’s another month and we have to pick the team. At the same time, it’s a little pressure, but it’s fun pressure and a fun time too. It’s hard decisions, but at the same time, because you have good players, it’s good too.”
Laine could certainly be a difference-maker for Team Finland next February, but it's a really tough decision to make considering the player has missed so much time over the last year. And he likely won't be back to game action to improve his resume before the deadline, which makes the choice even harder.
It'll be intriguing to see if Lehtinen gives Laine a flier and another chance to play for his country — this time in front of familiar fans in Montreal.
Finland joins the United States, Canada and Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off; the four countries play a round-robin between February 12-17. The top two advance to a one-game final at TD Garden on February 20.
