Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine was diagnosed with a left knee sprain Tuesday after he was hurt in a collision during a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The injury will not require surgery and Laine’s rehabilitation period is expected to be from two to three months, the team said.
While losing Laine for an extended period of time before he even suited up for his first regular season game with the team is not great news, the injury and recovery time could have been much worse.
Early in the first period, Laine was entering the Maple Leafs’ zone when his left knee collided with the knee of Toronto forward Cédric Paré. The blow bent Laine’s knee in a direction that knees are not supposed to bend.
Laine lay on the ice for a few minutes clutching his left knee and had to be helped off the ice, putting no weight on his left leg.
Laine, 26, played in just 18 games Columbus Blue Jackets last season, registering six goals and three assists — all career lows. The Winnipeg Jets selected Laine with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, where he spent just over the first five seasons of his career.
This story will be updated.
Required reading
- Canadiens’ Patrik Laine helped off ice after knee-on-knee collision vs. Maple Leafs
- Two ways Canadiens can cope with Patrik Laine’s injury
- Patrik Laine injury, potential loss another early test of young Canadiens’ resiliency
(Photo: Eric Bolte / Imagn Images)
