Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Tricolore is proving that it can keep rolling without Patrik Laine.
Except Laine has been sidelined since October 16, and the team confirmed on October 25 that he underwent surgery for an injury, with an absence of three to four months.
We’re talking about a return pointing toward late January or February, not a savior arriving tomorrow morning.
In the meantime, the Habs have kept picking up points. At the halfway mark of the season, Montreal is 26-14-7 (59 points) in 47 games, with 159 goals for and 154 against.
This isn’t a team in panic mode looking for a messiah. It’s a team that has found a rhythm, chemistry, and a certain “we win anyway” mindset. Honestly, that changes the conversation.
Why the Habs’ Success Without Patrik Laine Is Changing the Entire Conversation
Here’s what Renaud Lavoie had to say on BPM Sports regarding Laine’s return:
“This is a good question.
It’s an extremely important question, because it would be easy for everyone to turn our attention to Patrik Laine and say: ‘Yes, we have the solution.’
By saying exactly that: does Patrik Laine fit into the long-term plans?
No, you have to ask yourself the question: is he part of this season’s success?
The answer is no.”
– Renaud Lavoie, on BPM Sports
The issue isn’t Laine’s talent. It’s his place. Laine carries a heavy cap hit at $8.7M, and his contract ends at the end of the season, meaning he becomes a free agent.
Last year in Montreal, Laine still scored 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games. The guy knows how to score. Over his career, he has 224 goals and 422 points in 537 games. But this season, before getting injured, it was five games, one assist, and a minus-3 rating.
And now we’re asking the real question, the one that rubs some people the wrong way: does he deserve an automatic spot just because his name is Patrik Laine?
If the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge is winning without him, he’ll have to come back with an “I adapt” mentality, not an “I take my seat” one. Because otherwise, instead of being a solution, he becomes a problem. Plain and simple.
Previously on All Montreal Hockey
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