Potential Impact Of Patrik Laine’s Return To Canadiens Lineup

Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine has gone through an unreasonable series of challenges in the last few years, including the recent knee injury that prevented him from making his debut with his new team.

Prescription For Patience

In a sense, the fact that his recovery period was less than the entire calendar year was an encouraging development for the team, at least relative to the usual injury news coming out of Montreal. And now that he’s back to skating with some of the regular players on the team, the Canadiens can start to anticipate how his return will impact the lineup.

Renaud Lavoie suggested Laine may be ready to play before the end of November, but the safest bet, as of now, is to remain as patient as possible. Knees are tricky, and there’s absolutely no reason to rush Laine back into the lineup.

Laine sur la glace avec ses coéquipiers à Brossard pic.twitter.com/Jm2KP3wnyX

— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) November 17, 2024

Patrik Laine Impact On Montreal Canadiens Lineup

If Laine does find his rhythm, the options for his placement in the lineup are numerous. Despite the exaggerated narrative that he had lost his scoring ways in recent years, Laine has scored 66 goals in 175 games throughout the course of the last four seasons.

That’s not to say we should expect him to score with consistency right off the bat, but for a team like the Canadiens, his scoring touch could be a boon for every line, including the first trio, anchored by Nick Suzuki.

With that in mind, an assignment that features a slightly lower quality of opponents is in order, making his presence on the second or third lines a smart starting point. It would also make life a little easier on Martin St-Louis, as he would have a legitimate scoring option that can move the needle on the second line, where Kirby Dach eventually needs to return if he’s to develop into a centre that can make a significant impact every night.

Of course, we also have to consider Laine has not played a game since 2023, which means just like Dach, it will take a considerable number of games for the 26-year-old Finn to regain his form. There’s even a risk that half the season is not quite enough to get Laine up to speed, but seeing as the Canadiens are not realistically involved in a playoff race, they can afford to give him as many opportunities as he needs to close out the season.

Ample chances will not only improve his overall play, it will also do wonders for his mental health, a very important issue for all athletes, but even more so for Laine, given that he and his fiancée champion the cause.

The true test for Laine starts next season, making the remaining games in 2024-25 an extended tune-up for a player who will likely need a long runway to slowly but surely remove the many layers of injury rust that have accumulated in recent seasons.