Montreal Canadiens

Injury News on Patrik Laine Suggests Run with Canadiens Likely Over

Canadiens winger Patrik Laine will miss the next several months following core muscle surgery, raising questions about his future.

by
NHL Trade Talk
October 25, 2025

The Montreal Canadiens received disappointing news regarding the injury status of forward Patrik Laine. Laine underwent a procedure that will sideline him for 3-4 months, according to Pierre LeBrun. The 27-year-old winger has struggled with injuries since joining the Canadiens, and this latest setback hints that the experiment in Montreal might be over and his future with the team is anything but clear.

Mise à jour médicale au sujet de Patrik Laine

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

Laine has appeared in just five of Montreal’s nine games to start the 2025–26 campaign and hasn’t played since Oct. 16. It was believed he had re-injured his knee, but the severity of the injury was unknown. It was later confirmed that the procedure involved a core muscle surgery, which will keep him out of the lineup for quite some time.

Laine, who is a pending UFA, was already being seen as a potential maybe on a contract extension. This latest injury news has to turn that maybe into a doubtful.

Since joining Montreal, he has tallied 20 goals and 34 points in 57 games. Most of the production has come on the power play (15 goals) and he has faced criticism at 5-on-5. There is no doubt he’s a fun player to watch, but his one-dimensional play has made him an expensive weapon on the man advantage, and injuries have lowered the return on that investment.

Patrik Laine Canadiens goals — Patrik Laine Canadiens injury is 3-4 months long

Time to Consider Letting Laine Leave?

It might be unfair to call him a bust given the low price to acquire him. So too, his flashes of brilliance have often been the difference in key games. Still, Laine is in the final year of his four-year, $8.7 million contract, making him an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Missing this much time means potentially making short and long-term plans that don’t include him. Ultimately, if the Canadiens are successful without him, opting not to re-sign him and let him explore free agency seems like a realistic option.

When it comes to this season, Montreal will need to find ways to replace his offense, particularly on the power play. As for next season, the path forward might be to let him go and spend that money elsewhere.

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