Patrik Laine raised some eyebrows on Monday when he participated fully in the Montreal Canadiens' practice, having ditched the non-contact jersey for the first time since returning to the ice after a knee injury.
An encouraging sign for the star winger, but not an indication that his return is imminent. according to Martin St. Louis. The coach told reporters after Monday's practice that the team doesn't expect to see Laine return to game action before the end of this week.
This likely rules out the Finn for Tuesday and Wednesday's contests — the latter against his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets — but could mean he plays at some point during the weekend's back-to-back against the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.
Laine appears to be readying himself for a slightly ahead-of-schedule return to the lineup. Suffering a knee sprain in the pre-season, the Canadiens announced on Oct. 1 that he would be sidelined for two to three months.
The 26-year-old Finn hasn’t played a regular-season game in the NHL since Dec. 14, 2023 as a member of the Blue Jackets. He was sidelined with a fractured clavicle and later entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to focus on his mental health.
He was traded to the Canadiens on Aug. 19 in exchange for defenceman Jordan Harris and a 2026 second-round pick. Laine is in year three of a four-year, $34.8 million contract he signed with Columbus.
-- With files from Canadian Press
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