Patrik Laine hasn't suited up for the Montreal Canadiens since Oct. 16, when he sustained an abdominal injury that required surgery. It was the worst-case scenario for Laine, who was coming off a solid first season in Montreal.
Laine came into 2025-26 with heightened expectations, with his versatility allowing him to move up and down the lineup at will, a distinguishing factor for a playoff-caliber Canadiens team. Unfortunately, Laine was one of many Habs players bitten by the injury bug, and fans have been awaiting an update for his eventual return ever since.
While Laine has been skating lately, general manager Kent Hughes did not give an update fans wanted. Canadiens reporter Priyanta Emrith confirmed that "GM Kent Hughes says despite skating this morning, Patrik Laine's recovery is not ahead of schedule; his return is still on the original timeline."
Patrik Laine won't return sooner than expected
Bad news for the Canadiens, but the good news is that this team has held its ground despite injuries to Laine, Kaiden Guhle, Alex Newhook, and Jake Evans, among others. They haven't been a dominant force, as they sit third in the Atlantic behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. But with the "down the stretch" portion of the season still a good two months away, the Canadiens only need to stay within striking distance.
Guhle is slated to return soon, so that alone rightens the ship for the Habs. Now that we're in the back half of the season, expect this team to keep getting healthier, and for Laine to ultimately make his return to the lineup.
If he's already skating and going through drills with assistant coaches, that's another step, even if his return isn't imminent. It's also worth keeping an eye on, as the Canadiens will likely have more optimistic updates in the near future.
What Patrik Laine's return will mean for the Canadiens
The Canadiens are a deeper team than ever before, so Laine can slide into a middle or bottom-six role and provide a decent depth scoring option. In 2024-25, he finished the year with 20 goals and a 17.5 shooting percentage across 14:18 of average total ice time.
Through five games this season, Laine has one point (an assist) with a career-low 12:36 of average total ice time. This shouldn't be a red flag, though, as some players could take a while before they hit midseason form.
Even if he continues to average under 13 minutes per game, look for Laine to start finding the net soon after his return and turn into the scoring threat he was last season. For a Canadiens team that's currently ninth in the league with 139 goals scored, Laine's eventual return to the lineup means more headaches for Canadiens' opponents.
So, while fans won't be happy about Laine's return not being on the horizon, it won't be long until he's on the ice and creating mismatches.