The Montreal Canadiens could find the NHL snooping around their handling of the Patrik Laine injury situation this season.
During the Canadiens end-of-year presser on Monday, Laine stated that he could have played somewhere in January. However, he remained on the shelf. In fact, the Finnish forward remained on the shelf for the entire season.
“I think I could have come back pretty early… I probably could have played pretty soon after New Year’s, but also you don’t want to rush anything and go to play too early.”
The Habs shut Laine down after just five games this season. He proceeded to have core muscle surgery. As vague as that term sounds, it was surprising that Laine was never truly ready to return to action.
By the time he could have come back, Montreal just didn’t have any room for him in their lineup. So, he remained on the shelf. And it’s that situation that could prompt the NHL to look into how the Habs handled the situation.
If there is any inkling that Laine was healthy when otherwise placed on IR, that could trigger a penalty from the NHL. Any falsehood, as minor as it may seem, regarding player injuries is a major no-no for the league.
NHL Could Come Down Hard on Canadiens If Wrongdoing Proven
The NHL could come down hard on the Canadiens if there is any suspicion of wrongdoing. Earlier this season, the Vegas Golden Knights lost a second-round pick after violating media availability policies.
Such a punishment might have seemed harsh, especially considering that media availabilities don’t seem a cardinal offense. But the NHL has rules, and they must be followed.
Based on that situation, it would be safe to assume that a potential punishment for the Canadiens regarding any misleading injury information could be catastrophic.
It’s worth pointing out that misleading injury disclosure was an issue in the past. The NHL clamped down on the situation through stringent enforcement.
Of course, this discussion is by no means an indictment of the Canadiens. The NHL could investigate, and if it does, things may not go well for the Habs.
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Laine Had Incentive to Remain on the Shelf
One notable insider, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, highlighted that Laine actually had an incentive to remain on the shelf.
According to LeBrun, the former second-overall pick from the 2016 NHL Draft will now be eligible to sign an incentive-laden contract. Laine is set to become a UFA this summer and is unlikely to return to Montreal.
Team potentially looking to bring Laine in can ink him to a deal on, say, a $1 million base salary. The deal could be full of incentives, making the contract lucrative.
Ultimately, this situation looks like it came down to Laine blurting out something he wasn’t supposed to say. That’s too bad, as his comments could cast light on a situation that’s been somewhat hush-hush over the last few seasons.
If the Canadiens are responsible for fudging anything about Laine’s injury status, the situation could be a major black eye for the organization.
Canadiens Could Face Investigation Following Laine Comments