Habs' Laine out two to three months with sprained left knee
Published
Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine has sustained a sprain to his left knee that will not require surgery.
His rehabilitation period is expected to be from two to three months.
Laine was injured early in the first period of Saturday's 2-1 preseason loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 26-year-old had a knee-on-knee collision with Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare. He needed help off the ice and did not return to the game.
He was at Habs practice with crutches and a hinged knee brace.
Acquired on Aug. 19 from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Laine had six goals and nine points in 18 games last season with Columbus. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program in January and was cleared to return in July.
Selected second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2016, Laine scored a career-high 44 goals in 2017-18. He was traded to Columbus on Jan. 23, 2021 along with Jack Roslovic in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The Tampere, Finland native has appeared in 480 career NHL games, scoring 204 goals and 388 points split between the Jets and Blue Jackets.