When the Montreal Canadiens acquired Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets last August, there was a buzz amongst the fan base. The Habs had just landed a 40-goal scorer, a goal-scoring machine, and a lethal threat on the power play. When the Finnish sniper took his first strides wearing the Sainte-Flannelle, everyone’s eyes were on him, wishing for a fairytale kind of scenario, but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

Instead, what the fans got was a significant knee injury, one that was initially thought to be season-ending. While some were already lamenting his lost season and asking the universe “why can’t the Canadiens ever have nice things?!?”, Laine was getting a second opinion on the injury and deciding to go for a conventional treatment rather than going under the knife.

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It took some time, but by December, Laine was roaring to go, and he joined the team, immediately inheriting a spot on the first power-play unit, dislodging Cole Caufield from his preferred spot, and he hit the ground running. In 52 games, he scored 20 goals and added 13 assists for a 33-point output, a very respectable number. However, his minus-14 rating was less than decent, and it’s a big part of the reason why he wasn’t seeing much ice time toward the end of the season and in the playoffs.

Still, after the Canadiens’ elimination, his then-fiancée and now wife, Jordan Leigh, took to social media to thank the city, the team, and the fans for making her man love hockey again. This bodes well for the Habs because that’s when Laine is at his best, when he cares, and the stakes are high.

While he’s 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, Laine doesn’t play like a guy of that size, but he can do it. Back in 2016, when Finland hosted the World Junior Championships, the Finns faced Russia in the final, and the right winger played a significant role in the win.

The Russian took the lead in the first frame, but Laine was able to tie the score early in the second. Unfortunately, the visitors took the lead right back on the next shift. With a score of 2-1, Russia, Laine didn’t give up, he checked an opposing defenseman to steal the puck from him and feed it to Jesse Puljujarvi, who then passed it to Sebastian Aho, who leveled the score.

Ultimately, the Finns would win the game 4-3 in OT, but according to Laine, that was the best game he ever played. To pull off that kind of performance when the stakes are that high and you are playing in front of a home crowd expecting so much from you proves that a player can be a difference maker when they care.

Before Laine joined the Canadiens, he had given some thought to retiring; he didn’t love hockey anymore, and wasn’t having fun playing anymore. This season, though, he’ll turn up at camp completely healthy, having spent the Summer in Montreal, getting involved in the community and creating a relationship with both the city and the fans.

In the right frame of mind, Laine can make quite an impact. Martin St-Louis has demonstrated himself to be an excellent coach, one who communicates effectively with his players. When camp kicks off, St-Louis needs to make Laine feel like he is an essential cog of the team, like he can make a difference and be the man.

Laine reportedly likes what he’s seeing in Montreal and would like to stick around. To do that, he’ll have to earn a contract extension, and the only way to do that is to show what he can do when he’s playing his very best.

The Habs haven’t seen that from him yet; if they do, he could book a long-term spot on their top-six. The ball is in his camp. He got married, had a great Summer, and he's in great shape now; there are no excuses. He has the talent; if he has the will, Laine can be a difference maker. And if he steps up and becomes one for the Canadiens, he could have a much longer stay in town.

Photo credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

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