Montreal Canadiens release official update on Patrik Laine

Given the way it looked in the video, it seems this could have been a lot worse. The Montreal Canadiens have given an official update on Patrik Laine's status after he was injured in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night, and Laine may have actually caught a break in this incident by not having anything broken.

According to the Montreal Canadiens, Patrik Laine has a sprain in his left knee. There is no surgery required, which puts his return time at two to three months.

Unfortunately for the Montreal Canadiens, the team has also announced that defenceman and first-round pick David Reinbacher will need knee surgery and will miss five to six months as he recuperates. He went down in the same game as Patrik Laine on what looked to be a very routine hit.

While Patrik Laine, the Montreal Canadiens, and fans will no doubt be disappointed with the prognosis, there was speculation in the beginning that he may have been shut down for the entire 2024-25 season. With two to three months, there's a chance Laine could be in the lineup again before Christmas, provided there are no setbacks. Still, it's a tough pill to swallow after missing several games over the past three seasons, including just 18 games in 2023-24, to injury and working on his mental health.