During its broadcast of the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Vegas Golden Knights last night, TVA Sports reported that sniper Patrik Laine would be back in the lineup within 10 days.
Over the last few days, we've seen plenty of footage of Montreal Canadiens' Summer acquisition Patrik Laine turning up the intensity level of his on ice training and while the team has yet to give an official timetable for his return, TVA Sports reported he would be back within 10 days.
After he was injured on Sept. 28, it was feared his season was over before even starting, but the news turned out to be much better than expected and he was only ruled out for two to three months. This week, it will be two months to the day since he was injured and if he does come back within 10 days, it will mean his recovery went as well as possible.
While Laine could have opted for surgery, he opted for a more conservative treatment in the hope of being back on the ice faster than he would have been had he gone under the knife. So far, it looks like the gamble will have paid off.
Hopefully, the Canadiens will not let him rush back and they will ensure he is well and truly ready before giving him the green light for in game action. Georges Laraque floated the idea of sending him down to Laval for a conditioning stint as was done with Brendan Gallagher, Carey Price and more recently Rafael Harvey-Pinard in the past.
I doubt Montreal will want to go down that route, exposing him to career AHLers looking to make a name for themselves by hitting a well established NHL star doesn't strike me as a prudent course of action. Considering how many injuries Laine has had over the last few years, I feel they may want to keep him in the big league.
