Patrik Laine’s Return Will Have a Major Impact on the Canadiens

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The Montreal Canadiens have finally welcomed Patrik Laine to the lineup after a long, 25-game wait. With his arrival, Montreal has been able to ice a fully healthy lineup for the first time in head coach Martin St. Louis’ tenure.

This is the first time anyone got to see what general manager (GM) Kent Hughes had in mind for this season. The team looked more dangerous, and Laine’s return has caused a ripple effect, allowing the coaching staff to put players into more suitable roles. One player will not get the Canadiens into the playoffs, but it will provide a view of the scoring depth intended for the team by management.

Canadiens Impacted by Laine  

While St. Louis had to wait 255 games before getting a healthy lineup, Laine had to wait 355 days between NHL games. From the excitement seen from a rabid fanbase at the Bell Center, they were also impatiently waiting and wanted to see the pure skill he could provide. They did not leave the arena disappointed that night as Montreal defeated the New York Islanders with Laine scoring his first goal in a Canadiens sweater.

Montreal Canadiens Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The roar of the crowd was deafening, and the Bell Center vibrations could probably have registered on the Richter Scale. Not only did Laine score a goal in each of his first two games with the Canadiens, but his mere presence seems to have reinvigorated the team. 

A healthy serving of patience will be in order, remember, he has only played one game in nearly a full calendar year, and it will take time for him to regain his conditioning. But the impact Laine provides is more than just some flashy plays that can sell tickets. As mentioned above, his arrival provides help in several areas. First scoring depth, as adding a sniper takes the pressure off of Cole Caufield who has been the singular focus of opposition defences.

Related: Montreal Canadiens Can Learn from Senators’ Errors in Their Rebuild  

It isn’t just because he is another sniper that must be defended, it’s that having him on a separate line forces coaches to split focus. Montreal has been a one-line team for some time, having a scoring line with the Nick Suzuki and Caufield duo. Now, they need to game plan for two lines as Laine has been placed with Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky. St. Louis might have something positive with that line as they can bring skill and have size as they are all above 6-foot-3. Logically, this will eventually make life easier on the top line as Caufield keeps himself among the NHL’s top goal scorers and it can also assist Slafkovsky as he is facing second pairing defenders more often, allowing him to rediscover his game.

Secondly, Laine’s presence improves the power play (PP). The opposition penalty killers have been able to focus the majority of their energy on defending Caufield’s shot. While seven of his first 16 goals this season came off the PP, adding another shooter will force teams to open up. The Laine PP goal is perfect evidence of that as Caufield cuts to the middle in the bumper position, and that forces the penalty kill (PK) to focus on him for a split second, giving Laine more time to get his shot off. 

Future Upgrades Still to Come

But wait, there’s more! As impressive as the Canadiens’ PP is looking to be this season, there is more scoring depth on the horizon, and that is going to be coming once 2024 fifth-overall pick Ivan Demidov makes his jump to North America. The Laine effect will be felt here as well, as with him and Caufield being in the top six, there won’t be a need to rush Demidov into that role, allowing him to ease into the more physical and faster-paced NHL by playing on the third line. 

His playmaking ability makes him difficult to defend on a second unit PP, where he can fill in on the half wall where Suzuki currently plays on the top unit. In time, Demidov will graduate up the lineup. For a few of his teammates with SKA St. Petersburg, it is inevitable that he becomes a major star in the NHL, and quickly. Recently, some of them had spoken to Russian journalist Sergey Demidov of RG.org. 

Much has been said about Demidov’s misuse by his coach in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), giving him inconsistent messaging, ice time and just plain odd behaviour. However, former NHLers Evgeny Kuznetsov, Mikhail Grigorenko and Tony DeAngelo are all praising the young Russian’s positive outlook and are stating categorically that Demidov will be a star.

For them, Demidov’s skill, his ability to deal with adversity and his work ethic set him apart. The high praise continued from 2009 St. Louis Blues third-round pick Sergei Andronov.   

“Truth is, we haven’t had players like him in our league for a long time. He knows how to beat you, and his one-on-one play is exceptional. But what’s really special is his willingness to work and learn.”

– Sergei Andronov  

Adding another player who thrives in a pressure market, and who desires to be in that spotlight is more than desirable, it is necessary as Montreal is perhaps the most pressure-packed environment in hockey. The spotlight shines bright on the mistakes, but even brighter on successes. Fans are also willing to overlook some deficiencies in a player, especially if they can bring the elite skill level Laine has, or what is expected of Demidov. Much has been said about the rebuild, but the puzzle didn’t have enough pieces in place to give a true representation of what stage it had reached, yet now fans can start to see it, thanks to Laine’s return.

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