Skip to content
Your daily dose of hockey
Canadiens

Kent Hughes: “We were pretty sure Patrik Laine’s year was over”

 Sarah Jones
Share : facebook icon twitter icon
Kent Hughes: “We were pretty sure Patrik Laine’s year was over”
Credit: Getty Images

A few days ago, Elliotte Friedman said that the Habs were “preparing for the worst, but keeping their prospects alive” in the case of Patrik Laine’s medical check-up. That pretty much summed it up.

Why do I say this?

Because a scenario that I’d describe as “dreamlike under the circumstances” took place when we learned that Laine would have to miss a maximum of three months – if all went well – and that he wasn’t going to undergo surgery.

And clearly, Friedman knew what he was talking about, since Kent Hughes and the rest of the Habs’ management basically believed that the Finn’s 2024-2025 season was over.

That’s what the GM told Radio-Canada journalists in an interview reported by Marc Antoine Godin.

After consulting several specialists, the Habs finally came to the conclusion that the operation could be avoided. And that’s what allows the club to breathe a little easier.

After all, as Martin Leclerc also reported on BPM Sports this morning, the first specialist the Habs consulted recommended that Laine go under the knife.

In other words, Tony Marinaro was right when he said five to six months, because at the time, it was on the table. The picture simply changed afterwards, much to the Habs’ delight.

It now remains to be seen how the Habs will manage their club without Laine, and how the player’s rehabilitation will be handled.

Personally, I hope it doesn’t turn out like Carey Price in 2015-2016, the year when we learned every 10 days that the timetable for his return to play was being pushed back… until the season ended.

To keep Laine in the line-up, he will be at Tremblant this week.

Yesterday, in the absence of Alex Newhook, who should have his place in the top-6, Joel Armia and Joshua Roy were auditioned alongside Kirby Dach.

Who will be there at the start of the season? Stay tuned.


Overtime

– Who will play on Saturday? Who knows.

– Read more.

– Yesterday, Kirby Dach had had enough.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!
More Content