The early diagnosis from the social media doctors and experts was that Patrik Laine would be done for the season. It isn't a big surprise after the recent injury woes for the Canadiens, but fans expected the worst after seeing him go down against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He appeared at practice on Monday in a knee brace and on crutches, and Tony Marinaro mentioned on a recent podcast that he heard the injury would keep him out for 4-6 months. With all that considered, fans were shocked and excited when the news came out that Laine would only miss 2-3 months with a left knee sprain.
L'attaquant Patrik Laine souffre d'une entorse au genou gauche qui ne nécessitera pas de chirurgie. Sa période de réadaptation prévue est de deux à trois mois.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 1, 2024
Forward Patrik Laine sustained a sprain to his left knee that will not require surgery. His rehabilitation period is… pic.twitter.com/sEPrSPDGHH
It seemed like Laine had a torn ACL or MCL, which would've kept him out for the season, but a knee sprain seems like the best-case scenario after seeing how gruesome the injury looked. Laine will likely miss the rest of the calendar year, but there's a chance he will return at some point in December. The good news for the Canadiens is that you can't get eliminated from the playoffs in December, so losing Laine won't hinder their chances of competing this season.
The question is whether they can piece enough wins together to stay in the playoff hunt until Laine returns. I think the scariest thing for Canadiens fans was if the younger players could fill the void left by Laine for an entire season. It isn't difficult to see a player like Oliver Kapanen, Joshua Roy, or Owen Beck step in for a couple of months and contribute. They also may be able to get enough out of one of their leaders like Josh Anderson or Brendan Gallagher to bridge the gap.
I didn't love their chances of maintaining it until April, but Laine's prognosis is massive news for the Canadiens and shouldn't change their plans for this season at all. A knee sprain is an injury that could also recover quicker than the 2-3 month window depending on the rehab process.