Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine is likely to be out for two to three months due to a sprained left knee, which does not need surgery.
The Canadiens provided this update on Tuesday after Laine had to leave early in Saturday’s preseason game against Toronto because of a knee-on-knee collision with Maple Leafs forward Cédric Paré.
While Laine managed to avoid a severe injury, the team also announced that rookie defenseman David Reinbacher will be out for five to six months after having surgery on his left knee.
Laine fell to the ice shortly after Reinbacher, who was the No. 5 pick in last year’s draft, took a tough hit from Toronto’s Marshall Rifai.
Laine joined the Canadiens through a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on August 19, bringing excitement to fans who haven’t seen playoff hockey for the past three seasons.
Montreal traded defenseman Jordan Harris and also received a second-round draft pick in 2026 while taking on Laine’s $8.7 million salary cap hit for the next two seasons.
The 26-year-old forward from Finland scored a career-high 44 goals during his second season with the Winnipeg Jets in 2017-18 and was looking forward to a new beginning in Montreal after a tough year with the Blue Jackets.
Last season, Laine had six goals and three assists in 18 games before breaking his clavicle on December 14. He also sought help from the NHL’s player assistance program for his mental health in January and was cleared in July.
Reinbacher was expected to start the season with the Laval Rocket, which is Montreal’s American Hockey League affiliate.
The 19-year-old from Austria played the last two seasons with Switzerland’s Kloten HC and recorded two goals and three assists in 11 games with Laval late last season.
