Canadiens Activate Patrik Laine From Long-Term Injured Reserve

12/03/2024 11:05 AM

The Canadiens announced they’ve activated winger Patrik Laine from long-term injured reserve ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Islanders. He’ll make his Montreal debut after sustaining a left knee sprain during the preseason.

Montreal had a pair of open roster spots, but they’re $317.5K short of having ample space to remove his $8.7MM cap hit from LTIR. Without a corresponding move, that suggests the Habs have transferred goaltender Carey Price’s contract from IR to LTIR to keep them compliant for the time being.

Laine’s Canadiens regular-season debut comes earlier than most expected after receiving a knee-on-knee hit from Cédric Paré in an exhibition game against the Maple Leafs in late September. Subsequent imaging revealed a sprain but no structural damage, easily the best-case scenario. The team issued a two-to-three-month return timeline for Laine, a window he entered a few days ago.

More to come…