Is Laine’s Time With The Habs Coming To An End?

Yes, Laine is expected to be back at the end of February or early March, around the NHL Trade Deadline, but it may be hard for him to find a role on the team at that point. Given that he would have been out of action for so long by the time he is cleared to play, and with the team likely in a tight playoff race at that point, it’s very possible that he won’t be able to play a regular role when he’s ready to come back.

Even before the injury was announced, it was hard to find a role in the lineup for Laine, who appeared to be in the best shape he had been in years coming into the season. Now, without being able to prove himself to the Habs this season, it will be hard for him to receive a contract from the team. 

Although last year, he did have success with the team scoring 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games after coming back from a knee injury, 15 of those goals came on the power-play, and he was often a liability at even strength. This season, his power-play role is slowly getting replaced by both Zack Bolduc and rookie Ivan Demidov, who can do more than just wait and shoot the puck. Therefore, even his previous role on the power play was already being replaced with more versatile players. It just seems that there is no place where Laine has a proper fit in this lineup that thrives on speed and hustle.

As sad as it is, Laine’s speed looks to have really been affected by the knee injury last year, and now this sports hernia injury will likely play a factor in his overall performance. It really is a shame when you think Laine seemed really excited to potentially have his first healthy season since the 2020-21 season when he was traded to the Blue Jackets. 

During the off-season, it really seemed like Laine could get back to his old self from his Winnipeg days, but when it came to the preseason, it seemed like he couldn’t fit alongside anyone at even strength, which is how the Canadiens had to make a fit for him by breaking up their planned 4th line. 

It’s unclear exactly how long Laine has been playing with the sports hernia injury, but it’s clear it was bothering him to the point that he was even fanning on his one-timers during the first couple of games, making him much less effective. It is still possible that when he comes back completely healthy in early March, he could make an impact. It is just likely that, barring any significant injuries that just like at the beginning of the season, there won’t be any clear role for him going forward.

Even if Laine loves Montreal, sadly, there is just nowhere that he can fit into the Habs’ plans in the future and will either need to take his talents elsewhere or, if there aren’t any deals on the table, take a really cheap prove-it deal similar to what Sean Monahan signed a few years ago. 

Either way, we shouldn’t expect Laine to wear a Habs jersey much longer after his return from injury, and it’s possible that he may not ever return with the Habs.