'It's over for Patrik Laine': His place with the Canadiens no longer guaranteed
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Patrik Laine is coming back soon, but his place with the Canadiens is no longer guaranteed.
On October 25, 2025, the club confirmed surgery and an absence of three to four months. He has not played since October 16.
In 2025-2026, Laine played only five games, without a goal and with one assist, before leaving the lineup. In the meantime, the group found its solutions, and the lines took on their identity.
When you miss 42 of 47 games, you return to a locker room that is rolling without you. Nick Suzuki is already at 47 games, and the team does not want to slow down.
Patrik Laine does not have an automatic spot
Last season in Montreal, Laine scored 20 goals in 52 games for 33 points. In his career, he has totaled 224 goals and 422 points in 537 games, as well as 17 points in 26 playoff games.
On BPM Sports, Georges Laraque and Stéphane "Gonzo" Gonzalez sent a clear message. With his size, skating, and shot, they see him as capable of being among the top forwards.
Their caveat is the effort, game after game, especially when things do not click quickly.
"For me, unfortunately, it's over for Patrik Laine." - Gonzo
"Do you know what's crazy in Patrik Laine's case, for example? It's that when you watch him skate, he could be the leader of the Habs. Yeah. That guy could be the one playing with Suzuki and Caufield and form the Canadiens' best line." - Laraque
"You've got a guy who's what, 6'4", 6'5"? He's an elite shooter, a first-line player, Patrik Laine. What did we hear at the start of the year? There was talk of 40 goals. Not because the fans are out of touch, but because we know he has the talent to do it. But he's a guy who drags his feet." - Gonzo
"I don't know what would have to happen for that Patrik Laine to come back. Does the fact that the Canadiens are in a playoff spot right now, and that now he knows it's his last chance-do you think people like us, who can sense their chance, look at him and say, 'Oh my God, they're going to give him a second chance'?" - Laraque
"It's not a second chance, it's a fourth."- Gonzo
- Gonzo and Georges Laraque, BPM Sports
"Do you know what's crazy in Patrik Laine's case, for example? It's that when you watch him skate, he could be the leader of the Habs. Yeah. That guy could be the one playing with Suzuki and Caufield and form the Canadiens' best line." - Laraque
"You've got a guy who's what, 6'4", 6'5"? He's an elite shooter, a first-line player, Patrik Laine. What did we hear at the start of the year? There was talk of 40 goals. Not because the fans are out of touch, but because we know he has the talent to do it. But he's a guy who drags his feet." - Gonzo
"I don't know what would have to happen for that Patrik Laine to come back. Does the fact that the Canadiens are in a playoff spot right now, and that now he knows it's his last chance-do you think people like us, who can sense their chance, look at him and say, 'Oh my God, they're going to give him a second chance'?" - Laraque
"It's not a second chance, it's a fourth."- Gonzo
- Gonzo and Georges Laraque, BPM Sports
Will he get another chance with the team? Yes, because a player drafted second overall in 2016 does not disappear with the snap of a finger.
But that chance could be short lived, because the Canadiens no longer have the luxury of waiting. If he produces quickly and buys into the group's energy, Martin St-Louis will give him significant ice time.
Otherwise, we could see Laine searching for his place from one game to the next, sometimes even watching from the press box.
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