Patrik Laine Undergoes Major Surgery: Will Miss Several Months

Last summer, the Montreal Canadiens traded for Patrik Laine in a move that they hoped would bolster their goal scoring abilities, with fans incredibly excited for the arrival of the former No. 2 overall pick.

Unfortunately, before he could play a game, Laine went down with an injury that caused him to miss months of action, but when he returned, he was another electric piece for this young core, scoring 20 goals in the 52 games he played.

Now, after just five games played this season, the team have announced that Laine has undergone surgery on a core muscle injury, meaning he will miss up to 2-3 months of action.

This is a major loss for Montreal, as Laine has the ability to play up and down this very talented lineup, with his presence adding another element on their powerplay when the team is 100% healthy.

However, this is now the second major stint on the sidelines for Laine with Montreal, and given that he's a free agent after this season, this injury may be enough for the team to move on from him when the time comes.

Ultimately, even without Laine the Canadiens continue rolling, posting a 6-3-0 record to start the new season, and while he'll have a role when he comes back, with their depth and young talent, the team are doing just fine without him, and will need to do so until January at the earliest.