Martin St-Louis acknowledges that Patrik Laine isn’t in an easy position

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Martin St-Louis acknowledges that Patrik Laine isn’t in an easy position
Credit: Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images

When people wonder who will play on any given night, Patrik Laine's name is never seriously mentioned.

It's been clear for a long time that the Canadiens have no intention of playing him. Using Arber Xhekaj on offense instead of calling on the natural goal-scorer was the final nail in the coffin.

And there have been quite a few nails.

This morning, at a press conference, the Canadiens' coach was asked a question about Laine. And he replied that the Finn had an impeccable attitude despite the difficult position he finds himself in.

And I agree 100%.

We can all agree that St-Louis, who never really wanted to confirm that Laine was healthy, just dropped a hint that the veteran is being benched every night.

You might say his comment could also apply if Laine had been injured for months… but everyone here can read between the lines: the guy has been healthy for months.

It's also worth noting that this is the second time in a few days that a team executive has praised Laine. Kent Hughes, in a recent interview, said credit should be given to Laine, who hasn't played since October.

They clearly want to keep Laine happy under the circumstances, which is the right thing to do.

Because the bosses are right: the guy has a good attitude given the circumstances. It can't be easy to deal with, but he's not doing anything to make people talk about him for the wrong reasons right now.

The Montreal Canadiens have a good culture where the guys don't complain when it comes time to repeatedly bench someone, right?


In a nutshell

– Read this.

– His season is over.

– Unbelievable.

– Really?

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