Report: Habs' Patrik Laine may be out for 4-6 months post knee-on-knee collision

Journalist Stu Cowan reported major news about Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine's knee injury. Laine could be out for four to six months following the knee-on-knee collision he suffered during Saturday's preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Cowan shared the news on X:

"Hearing #Habs Patrik Laine could be out 4-6 months. Nothing confirmed yet by team."

The incident occurred in the first period as Laine entered the offensive zone on a Canadiens powerplay. He received a knee-on-knee hit from Leafs forward Cedric Pare that immediately dropped him to the ice in severe pain, clutching his left knee.

Laine had to be helped off the ice by teammates, unable to put any weight on his left leg. The Canadiens later announced that he won't return to the game. Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis commented on the collision and Laine's status:

"If you know you can get him back to his own standards, it’s pretty exciting. And I feel we’ve done a good job of bringing him in, and he’s started to feel more comfortable,so it’s hard to see him go down like that today. And hopefully it’s not too serious.”

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Fans react to Patrik Laine's recovery timeline

Patrik Laine's four-six month recovery timeline has sparked mixed reactions among fans. Many took to social media to express their thoughts on the Canadiens forward's situation.

One found a silver lining, noting:

"It's bad, but I was expecting season-ending injury. There's some hope."

This optimism suggests Laine could return before the season concludes. A worried fan commented:

"I feel so freaking bad for him. I really hope this isn't the end of his playing days."

Here are some more fan reactions:

"That’s terrible. A preseason stupid hit too," one fan wrote on X.

"6 months is essentially season ending unless you make the playoffs," another fan wrote.

"The Habs will miss the playoffs by 25 points instead of 15," a user commented.

"I don't see Laine being out truly hurting the team as long as everyone else remains healthy, and Reinbacher is an AHLer so far," another fan commented.

Montreal's significant addition this summer was Laine. He played only 18 games last season due to a broken clavicle and also received assistance from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program until he was given the green light to return in July.