Patrik Laine may be back playing for the Montreal Canadiens sooner than expected.
The team announced today that the scoring winger will not require surgery to fix the knee injury he suffered in a recent preseason game. The ailment has been diagnosed as a left knee sprain, and he will just need to rest to recover.
The current timeline for Laine’s recovery is two-to-three months, much shorter than many expected after first watching the gruesome way Laine’s knee moved when he suffered the injury.
L'attaquant Patrik Laine souffre d'une entorse au genou gauche qui ne nécessitera pas de chirurgie. Sa période de réadaptation prévue est de deux à trois mois.
Forward Patrik Laine sustained a sprain to his left knee that will not require surgery. His rehabilitation period is⊠pic.twitter.com/sEPrSPDGHH
— Canadiens MontrĂ©al (@CanadiensMTL) October 1, 2024
The goal-scoring winger was acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets this past offseason. He has 204 goals in 480 career games but hasn’t played more than 70 games since the 2018-19 season as he’s dealt with injuries and spent time in the Players Assistance Program.
The diagnosis of a knee sprain instead of a torn ligament is a huge win for Laine and the Canadiens. The play he hurt himself on in a recent game against the Toronto Maple Leafs looked very scary, and the forward left the ice immediately.
Patrik Laine goes down after a knee-on-knee contact.
Doesn't look good. He had to leave the game. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/cXrNTOzK4L
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 28, 2024
This isn’t the first injury recovery timeline the Canadiens announced today. The team also revealed that David Reinbacher will miss five-to-six months after also suffering a knee injury against the Maple Leafs. The young defenceman was not as lucky as Laine and didn’t manage to avoid surgery, although he has already undergone the operation.
The Canadiens open their regular season on October 9 with another game against the Maple Leafs. While defenceman Arber Xhekaj already stood up for Laine and beat up Cedric Pare, the player who took out the Finnish sniper, there could be more fireworks to come.
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