Injured Canadiens Star Might Still Make Team Finland

An injury won't stop Team Finland from looking at a key star from the Montreal Canadiens.

Sep 23, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine (92) prepares for a face off against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

It was a big deal when the Montreal Canadiens acquired superstar forward Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets over the offseason. It was an even bigger deal when Laine got injured during the preseason and was expected to be out of the Canadiens lineup for up to three months.

That kind of timeline is long, but far better than what Laine and the Canadiens were fearing when the injury occurred. Another bonus to that timeline is that Laine has a chance to represent his home country at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Laine is slated for a return before the calendar flips to 2025, giving him plenty of time to ramp up before hitting the ice with Finland. According to Team Finland general manager Jere Lehtinen, Laine is still in contention for a roster spot.

Despite not yet playing any regular season games with the Canadiens, and likely still to be out by the roster deadline, Laine is still a top option for Finland.

“It’s too bad for him, of course, with how the last season went, and it would have been nice to see how he would have played this season in Montreal,” Lehtinen said. “Hopefully, he comes back soon. Everybody wants to see him.”

Laine hasn’t played a regular season game in almost a full year. Injuries and a stint in the NHL Players Assistance Program held him to just 18 games in 2023-24 with the Blue Jackets.

In those 18 games, Laine put up six goals and three assists for nine total points. Over the course of his career, however, Laine is known as an elite goal scorer. He scored 140 goals in 306 games with the Winnipeg Jets and tacked of 64 more in 174 games with the Blue Jackets.

With 204 career goals at the NHL level, he’s one of the better scorers in the league. Regardless of if he’s played in the 2024-25 season yet shouldn’t stop him from joining Team Finland and representing his country on the international stage once again.

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