Patrik Laine believes he is 100% recovered from his shoulder injury

Patrik Laine has the talent to become an exciting player in Montreal. His goal-scoring ability is sure to turn heads and, with a little more hustle, he could quickly become a crowd favorite.

The problem is that Laine is considered a fragile player. He has been injured frequently over the past three seasons.

As we mentioned on Monday night, Laine has missed a lot of games over the past three years. We’re talking about a total of 127 missed games, to be precise.

The good news is that Laine has had time to rest and heal from the last injury he suffered in December 2023. He had fractured his collarbone in a game against the Maple Leafs after being hit in the leg by an opposing player.

The Blue Jackets expected him to be out five to six weeks, but Laine never returned as he entered the NHL’s Player Assistance Program in January.

In a press conference on Monday, Laine confirmed that the injury is no longer bothering him and that he has received the green light from the doctors to start skating again.

#Habs Patrik Laine says he’s been cleared to get back on the ice following shoulder surgery; says he can still rip the puck like he always has been able to.

– Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) August 19, 2024

According to the Finn, his shots are still as powerful and precise as ever, and the injury has in no way weakened his abilities.

This confirms the reassuring words of Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell in June. The latter had revealed that Laine had undergone shoulder surgery during the season, but that it was a clean-up rather than a serious operation.

Laine is feeling well, and that’s the important thing, but we mustn’t forget that it’s been a long time without playing a game in the NHL. It could be hard for him to get back into the swing of things.

According to Laine, that shouldn’t be a problem. He plans to take his time between now and training camp to find his bearings and get back to playing to the best of his ability.

Laine’s body seems to be in good shape, but what he likes best is that his mental health is just as good.

Overtime

– We’re waiting to hear from the Oilers.

Hockey world waits for #Oilers to render decisions Tuesday on #stlblues offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

Recent trades mean everything is still on the table cap-wise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if both Broberg and Holloway become Blues tomorrow.

We’ll see.

– Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) August 20, 2024