Canadiens lose forward acquisition for multiple months

Patrik Laine. Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Canadiens lose forward acquisition to knee injury for multiple months

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Oct 1, 2024 8:03 PM ET

The Montreal Canadiens will be without one of their top forwards for a significant portion of the 2024-25 season.

In a post on X , the team announced that Patrik Laine's knee injury — suffered on Saturday in Montreal's 2-1 preseason loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs — will not require surgery, but he will need to recover for two-to-three months.

Laine collided with Toronto's Cedric Pare in the first period, clutching his knee while he lay on the ice in clear pain. He needed assistance to get off the ice.

Patrik Laine is forced to leave the game with a knee injury after colliding with Cedric Pare. pic.twitter.com/3rAOIRrfrQ
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 28, 2024

Montreal acquired Laine and a 2026 second-round pick in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Aug. 19, sending defenseman Jordan Harris the other way in the deal.

Laine, 26, will now head right back to injured reserve. He was cleared from the league's player assistance program in July after recovering from a broken clavicle he suffered in December.

At practice on Monday, Laine was seen in good spirits with teammates despite being crutch-bound. He posted a message on his Instagram story Tuesday thanking fans for their support and that he "will be back."

Patrik Laine en béquilles, mais souriant malgré tout. pic.twitter.com/Fj064I65gX
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) September 30, 2024

Laine, drafted second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2016, has not posted more than 56 points in a season since 2019-20, his fourth season in the league.

His eighth year in the pros is now off to a less-than-ideal start. He's unlikely to see the ice until December at the earliest barring any setbacks.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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