Defenseman Cédric Paré delivered a knee-to-knee hit, causing Laine's knee to buckle. It's a tough scene to watch, even after multiple viewings.
Immediately, memories of Kirby Dach's injury from the second game of last season come to mind. Will Laine miss the rest of the season? That's definitely a possibility.
Dr. Harjas Grewal shared insights on Laine's potential recovery on X, indicating that it could be very serious. Given the force of the impact, I'm expecting the worst.
Let's hope it's just a trimmed meniscus or a simple bone bruise, but again, I'm not too optimistic. His leg bent too much for there not to be a tear.
After the hit, Arber Xhekaj jumped in to defend his teammate by confronting Paré, who didn't want to engage.
Physically, Patrik Laine should recover well; it's just a matter of time and doing the right things during rehabilitation.
I'm most worried about him mentally. The Finn was finally enjoying coming to the rink and connecting with his teammates after 8 months away, during which he dealt with personal struggles.
I sincerely hope he can draw inspiration from Kirby Dach to navigate this challenging phase, despite the frustration and disappointment.
POLL | ||
28 SEPTEMBRE | 301 ANSWERS Patrik Laine will miss 4 to 6 weeks of activities at best, according to Dr. Grewal Are you confident that Patrik Laine can have the least severe injury possible? | ||
Yes | 115 | 38.2 % |
No | 186 | 61.8 % |
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