Significant Injury Update for Patrik Laine & Canadiens

Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens forward

Patrik Laine's tough start to the season just got even worse. The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Laine will be out for three to four months after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury.

Mise à jour médicale au sujet de Patrik Laine

Medical update on Patrik Laine pic.twitter.com/pfFqpBo4E0
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 25, 2025

At least he lasted five games this year before going down with a significant injury. Last season, his first with the Habs, Laine was lost in training camp to a knee injury that kept him out of the first two months of the season. This time around, the outlook is much worse.

Laine registered just one point in five games to start the new campaign, and saw his time on ice slashed as head coach Martin St. Louis dropped him to the fourth line. He averaged just over 12 minutes of action per night (a career low).

The 3-4 month prognosis is even worse news for the Habs, as, despite the player's long-term absence, it's likely that they will not place Laine on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), as noted by Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports.

"The reason is simple: a team that doesn't use the long-term injured list can save money on a daily basis that increases its cap room throughout the season."

And since Montreal currently has $4.4 million in cap space, placing Laine on LTIR—which now only allows a team's salary cap to be increased by a maximum of $3.8 million—would actually be a $600K loss in cap room for the Canadiens.

By not placing Laine on LTIR, the Habs will continue to accrue space and would have close to $20 million in cap room by the trade deadline as it stands now.

The 27-year-old is a former 2nd overall pick in the NHL Draft (Winnipeg Jets, 2016). The blazing hot start to his career has petered out over the last half-decade, and the Columbus Blue Jackets were happy to unload him on the Habs in a trade in the summer of 2024.

Last season, he seemed rejuvenated in Montreal, however, scoring 20 goals in only 52 games. That did not carry over to the current campaign.