NHL: Preseason-Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens – Source: IMAGN

The Montreal Canadiens are faced with the possibility of having to play without the newly acquired Patrik Laine for a lengthy period of time.

Laine was seriously injured on Saturday night against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs after he was struck with a knee-on-knee hit from Cedric Pare. He immediately fell to the ice in pain and required assistance to get back to the bench and dressing room.

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Laine was unable to put any weight on his leg, and the fear among Habs fans is he could be absent for several months.

This would be a significant setback for Montreal, as Laine was acquired with the hope of rekindling the offensive flair that made him a dangerous goal-scorer during his days with the Winnipeg Jets.

However, in the mind of notable analyst Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Pare wasn’t intentionally attempting to injure Laine. While speaking on the ’32 Thoughts’ podcast on Monday, Friedman opined that while Pare should have been penalized on the play, a suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety wasn’t warranted.

“When I saw the lineups in this game yesterday, I was like, ‘Wow’. Like, there are a lot of players there who are not going to be starting the season with their two teams,” Friedman began. “Surprised at what I saw there. And we’ll get to the whole exhibition conversation in a minute. Let’s go step by step. That’s the easiest way to do this.”

“Kyle, for me, I thought the play was a penalty, but I did not think it was a deliberate attempt to injure, and I didn’t think he was going to get suspended.”

Friedman’s words may ring hollow to Canadiens fans, who are justifiably upset at the prospect of losing a key offensive player for the 2024-25 season before it even starts.

Patrik Laine is entering his first season with the Canadiens

Patrik Laine was acquired by the Canadiens during the offseason in a significant trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, granting him the change of scenery that he had requested Columbus GM Don Waddell for.

He was severely limited last season due to injury and also thanks to his stay in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program to focus on, as he put it, his mental health and well-being.

The former No. 2 overall selection of the Winnipeg Jets in 2016, Patrik Laine has scored 204 goals with 184 assists in 480 career regular-season games. He has also scored eight goals with eight assists in 24 career playoff games.