Montreal Canadiens left winger Patrik Laine of Tampere, Finland will be out long term again. This time the reason for his absence is core muscle surgery. As a result, Laine is expected to miss three to four months, and according to ESPN, his Olympic participation is now in doubt.
When did Laine last play?
Laine has not played for the Canadiens since October 16 in a 3-2 Canadiens win over the Nashville Predators. It was an overtime win for Montreal as Cole Caufield scored with three seconds left in the extra period.
What have Laine’s other injuries been?
Over the years, Laine has also injured his ankle, elbow, clavicle and knee. He has not played more than 56 games in a season since 2019-20, and only played 18 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023-24.
Laine’s 2025-26 NHL statistics
Laine has one assist for one point in five games with the Canadiens this season. He is a -3 with two penalty minutes, six shots on goal, two faceoff wins, two hits and two giveaways.
Laine’s lone point this season was a primary assist on a game-tying goal by Ivan Demidov of Sergiyev Posad, Russia in a 5-4 Canadiens win over the Seattle Kraken on October 14. The goal came with two minutes and 41 seconds left in the third period and tied the game at four goals apiece.
The two hits for Laine this season have also come in Canadiens’s wins. The first came in a 3-2 Canadiens win over the Chicago Blackhawks on October 11, and the second came in the Canadiens’s win over the Predators.
Canadiens having a great start
Montreal has a record of seven wins and three losses for 14 points to start the 2025-26 NHL regular season. The Canadiens’s 14 points are tied for the most in the NHL. They are tied with the Utah Mammoth and New Jersey Devils.
Other players injured
On Saturday night, Washington Capitals forward Dylan Strome got caught up with teammate Jakob Chychrun, and slid awkwardly into the boards in the first period on Saturday in a shockingly awful 7-1 Capitals home loss to the Ottawa Senators. It was a lower body injury and Strome needed help getting off the ice. Meanwhile, players currently on the IR include Dylan’s brother Ryan Strome of the Anaheim Ducks (upper body), Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rackell (left hand surgery). Seattle Kraken center Frederick Gaudreau (upper body), and Utah Mammoth center Alexander Kerfoot (core muscle surgery).
