Since the Montreal Canadiens welcomed Patrik Laine back in the lineup, there's a lot of excitation and enthusiasm in town, but media and fans alike would do well not to go overboard.
Patrik Laine has played two regular season games with the Montreal Canadiens and while he has scored two goals in those two games, fans and media alike shouldn't be getting ahead of themselves.
There's no denying that Laine is a much needed infusion of talent to the Canadiens' formation, but he's not going to be season's savior and it's much too early to talk about a contract extension. The big Finn is still signed for another season after this one, meaning he still has 138 games to play wearing the Tricolore.
Before anybody talks about a contract extension and Laine's love for Montreal (he did refuse another trade before landing in town), we need a bigger sample size. Will the left winger manage to stay healthy? Can he regain the form he had in his early days in Winnipeg? The answers to those questions will have a big impact on what is next contract should be.
In an interview with RG.org Team Finland's GM for the 4 Nations Face-Off Jere Lehtinen explained why he named Laine to his roster in these terms:
Yeah, we know what he is capable of doing. He’s great on special teams, he has those skills. In a short tournament, the special teams are going to be a big part of that.
So far, Laine's performance with the Canadiens make him look like a genius. A two-game scoring streak is a great way to start a career with Montreal, but it's far from being a record. Next game, if the Finnish sniper scores, he's join Leo Gravelle, Brian Bellows, Perre Turgeon and Yanic Perreault who all started their tenure with the Sainte-Flanelle withh goals in their first three games.
That's the third highest total, but he'll still be some way away from the second place mark. Newsy Lalonde actually scored in eight consecutive games when in joined the Habs. The all-time mark belongs to Joe Malone though, the former Quebec Bulldog scored in 14 consecutive games when he first wore the Sainte-Flanelle.
I'm not saying Laine isn't good, far from it, but I think overinflated expectations rarely end well in this market. Let's give him some time to settle in and show what he can do on an extended period before claiming he's the second coming of God and could save the Canadiens' season.
Enjoy what's happening right now Canadiens' fans, but live in the present. As things stands, Laine is here for the remainder of this season and for the next one, the jury (Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes) is still out on whether he will be part of this rebuild in the long-term, or if he was just a stepping stone. Nobody should have a problem with that, the Canadiens are playing the long game here, this rebuild is far from over and it's far too early to say in Laine is here to stay.
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