Montreal Canadiens announce encouraging news for Patrik Laine's knee injury

It is anticipated that he will need two to three months for rehabilitation.

Laine sustained an injury on Saturday during Montreal's preseason loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Early in the first period, Leafs farmhand Cedric Pare got into a knee-on-knee altercation with the Finnish winger, forcing Laine to leave the game with the assistance of his teammates.

Laine was eventually declared out of the game by Montreal. Martin St. Louis, head coach of the Canadiens, expressed his opinion that Pare ought to have been fined after the game.

The Canadiens' fifth-round selection from the previous draft, David Reinbacher, left the game on Saturday after being hit by Toronto blue-liner Marshall Rifai. On Tuesday, Montreal revealed that Reinbacher had knee surgery and would be out for five to six months.

Laine, who was acquired on August 19 from the Columbus Blue Jackets, finished the previous season with 18 games played, six goals, and nine points. He was approved to return in July after enrolling in the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program in January. The native of Tampere, Finland, has played in 480 NHL games and, while playing for the Jets and Blue Jackets, has scored 204 goals and 388 points.

The Canadiens may have just dodged a big bullet when they announced that Patrik Laine will only miss two to three months due to a sprained left knee and won't need surgery.

As they look to make a run this season, the Montreal Canadiens had high expectations for what Patrik Laine might bring to the mix. They will need to reorganize their lineup and devise a fresh approach for the next two to three months due to this most recent injury.

Although the team will take all necessary precautions to ensure that Laine's health comes first, coach Martin St. Louis will not waver in his optimism. For the time being, though, all eyes and hopes are focused on his recuperation. Maybe Laine will return to the lineup sooner and resume doing what he did best-find the back of the net while thrilling hockey fans with his scoring prowess.