"Gotta take look in mirror": $34,800,000 star winger breaks silence on reduced ice time with Montreal Canadiens

Patrik Laine spoke about the recent drop in his ice time with the Montreal Canadiens. After four straight losses in the last week of January, his average ice time fell to 11:57 minutes in February. Last month, he played 16:12 minutes per game and reached 20:41 against the New York Rangers on Jan. 19.

Laine admitted that he wants to play more but understands why his time has been reduced.

“Do I wish to be out there more? Absolutely," Laine said during Tuesday's presser. "Who doesn’t? Also, I don’t wanna get into that too much," Laine said. "When you’re out there for 10 mins, I guess it’s hard when you’re used to playing more. You’re not in the rhythm & all that. But you still gotta try to be out there & do your best.

“Obviously, I haven’t been able to perform like I probably should. So I understand why I haven’t been playing as much as maybe normally.”

Laine, who is signed to a four-year $34,800,000 contract, is in his first season with the Canadiens and has struggled with consistency. He has 12 goals and six assists for 18 points in 28 games with a -11 rating. However, Laine's recent games have seen a decline. Drafted second overall in 2016 by Winnipeg, he was once known for his goal-scoring. Laine scored 36 goals in his rookie season for and 44 goals in his sophomore season.

“At that point, you gotta take a look in the mirror as well," Laine said. "You just gotta put in the work & gotta make things happen. Sometimes, it is a little tough. But I feel like now, this will be a good turning point to get confidence back & get some boost for the rest of the year.”

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Patrik Laine's challenges in recent years and trade to the Montreal Canadiens

Patrik Laine was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on Aug. 19 from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last season, he only played 18 games due to a broken clavicle. Laine also received care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program from January to July before being cleared to return.

However, Laine hurt his knee during a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“You know, in this sport, you get hurt sometimes and just try to stay positive," Laine said in October, via NHL.com. "But at least now I'll have the second half of the season when I come back, so that'll be good.”

Despite a strong return for the Montreal Canadiens, Laine's challenges have not died down.