Patrik Laine out two to three months

The verdict is in on how long Patrik Laine will be out for.  The good news is that the injury is not as severe as it first looked.  The bad news is that even so, he’ll miss the next two to three months with a knee sprain, the team announced on Tuesday.  They further clarified that surgery will not be required.

At this point, that still has to be considered one of the better-case scenarios after he went down following a collision with Toronto’s Cedric Pare on Saturday night.  Laine required help to get off the ice and was on crutches following the game.

Montreal acquired Laine in August along with a second-round pick in exchange for Jordan Harris with the Canadiens hoping that he could return to form and give the second line a boost.  That could yet happen but it won’t be until December or even January before he’s able to suit up.

In the meantime, the Habs will try to fill his spot from within.  Veteran wingers like Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, and Brendan Gallagher could get a crack on the second line while youngsters like Joshua Roy, Emil Heineman, and Oliver Kapanen will be considered as well.  Kapanen, in particular, is getting a look on the wing tonight against Ottawa after playing centre in his first two outings.