Speaking to the media for the first time since suffering a knee sprain, Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine confirmed it was his decision not to go under the knife.
Speaking to the media for the first time since suffering a knee sprain, Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine confirmed it was his decision not to go under the knife.
Those wondering why it took so long to learn Patrik Laine's prognosis now know why. The Montreal Canadiens sniper received a few opinions on the extent of his injury before the news was announced.
Speaking to the media for the first time since Cedric Pare hit him in an exhibition game, Laine clarified a few things. He explained that the hit was unfortunate and that he didn't think the Toronto Maple Leafs player wanted to hurt him. He also added that he kind of put himself in the position to be hit. Pare did text him afterward, to his credit.
The big Finn was asked how many doctors he saw and replied:
I saw a couple of doctors, got some good opinions but at the end of the day, it was my call to make, whatever we want to do. The team and everybody else gave me all the help with that. At the end of the day, decided not to do surgery and just do rehab and let it heal.
Asked if it was his call not to have surgery, he answered:
Yeah I mean, it's my knee after all. It was just one of those you know, could go either way.
In other words, he could have undergone surgery, but he opted for the less intrusive route. While this means a shorter absence, it will be incredibly important not to rush back and ensure the knee is 100% before even thinking about getting back into the lineup.
We've seen many knee injuries in the past, not requiring surgeries but with a timetable for return being pushed back over time. It was Carey Price's case at one stage, prepare to be patient Canadiens fans. If Laine is back within two to three months, great; if he needs more time in the end, just tell yourself it's better to err on the side of caution than to come back too soon and suffer another injury.
It's nice to see Laine appear in good spirits and be in Mont-Tremblant to get to know and be bound by his new teammates. There were reports about the forward tending to get down on himself when facing adversity, but when he arrived in Montreal, he said the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program had given him skills to deal with that. So far, it looks like he has been making use of the said skills.
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