Canadiens Injuries
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.
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Good thing the Habs have a very reasonable and patient fanbase.
The last thing Laine needs is for Habs fans to believe his return will turn around our fortunes this season. The best thing we can do is create an atmosphere where he can get himself back on track without having the baying wolves at his door. Patience is the key. If he plays well this season, consider it a bonus.
I don’t think laine is a leadership type, . If I was involved in deciding how to use him, I’d insulate him from too much pressure and press The objective is to help him find his scoring touch without him feeling like he has to be the cog that drives offence for the team. I’d put him on the second line and second powerplay unit( Hutson is a great fit for his release) so he understands that he’s not expected to be the guy. He’s always been top line and top powerplay so this experiment coukd be just what he needs. My expectations are low on his stats this year but I want to see him enjoy the game and the guys, and make real progress to getting the traits back in his game tgat made him one of the most exciting young players on the planet his first several years. That shot, that stride and shooting in stride.
Marty has been mixing the lines up lately so I’d try him with everyone to see where the chemistry exists. Demidov and Roy will also be in the mix too in less than a year. I’d build him up, help him regain his touch and confidence and we will be thrilled, hopefully, by the end of the season progress. That would create a lot of excitement for what next year could hold for him and the team.
After a dominant performance at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Laine received greater attention from scouts and casual observers alike.[9] By January 2016, he had moved up the ranking on most draft lists to second overall.[9] McKeen’s Hockey notably ranked Laine first overall on its January 2016 list.[10] According to hockey analyst Bob McKenzie‘s mid-season draft report, Laine had become the “clear consensus No. 2 choice” over fellow Finnish prospect Jesse Puljujärvi.[11] This was due to what scouts described as a “‘dynamic’ element”, with one scout elaborating, “Laine maybe is more of a pure goal scorer, a game-breaker with a little higher offensive ceiling.”[11]
He played a pivotal role in the semifinal series against second-ranked Kärpät, scoring six goals in the seven-game series, including three last-minute goals to tie games four, five and six; two of those goals occurred in the final minute of the third period of their respective games, with Laine’s Game six goal being scored at 19:59 of the third period with one second remaining on the clock.[15][16][17][18] With his last-second tying goal in Game six, his eighth of the playoffs, Laine broke Liiga’s previous goal-scoring record of seven goals in a single rookie playoff campaign.[19] Laine and Tappara consequently defeated Kärpät and advanced to the 2016 Liiga Finals.[20] Trailing 2–1 in the series against HIFK, Tappara coach Jussi Tapola moved Laine to the team’s first line alongside Jani Lajunen and leading scorer Kristian Kuusela for Game four, where Laine recorded a goal and two assists to lead his team to a 2–2 series tie
Laine scored once more in the series-clinching match, as Tappara defeated HIFK in six games to win the Liiga championship title.[13] He was likewise awarded the Jari Kurri Trophy as playoff MVP, finishing the post-season with 10 goals and 5 assists in 18 games.[13]
Also:
Laine became the first teenager in 30 years to score a total of 80 goals, surpassing Sidney Crosby‘s 75
Not a leadership type?
You don’t win Playoffs MVP as a passenger.
Laine is a GAMER. He’s played for 2 crappy teams in the NHL so far, so he has not had a chance to prove how clutch he can be.
Yet.
It appears we define and measure leadership differently. There are natural leaders, it’s part of their DNA, and there are those that work to aquire and develop leadership skills, but not everyone has committed to that. People, including athletes m, have different interests and focuses, everyone is different.
Some people associate leadership with statistics- the better tge numbers the better the leader but I’m not in that camp. Lafleur wasn’t the epitome of great leader., but Beliveau was, in my opinion.
We agree that Laine has a great skill set, somewhat muted the past few years but I think it can rekindled, which was the primary purpose of my post, a brief game plan.
His early resume is all world as you well documented. I’m a fan and want him to succeed for us, I was Saratov when Hughes aquired him. My comment was based on limited observations of him , and I readily admit I could be wrong. I’ll have a more informed opinion down the road.
Saku and Patrik are both loved by Hab fans. So everyone will be delighted when he returns to action.