Former Blue Jacket Patrik Laine out months after knee-on-knee hit during preseason game

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Former Blue Jacket Patrik Laine is on the sidelines again before suiting up for his first regular-season games with the Montreal Canadiens .

Laine, who struggled with injuries in Columbus and was traded this offseason , will be out two to three months with a sprained left knee after he was hurt during Saturday's preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He was skating into the Toronto zone in the first period when he was caught by Maple Leafs center Cedric Pare with a knee-on-knee hit.

The prognosis was better than expected considering how Laine's knee bent. The team said he won't need surgery and instead would rehab the injury.

The Canadiens weren't as fortunate with defenseman David Reinbacher, the 2023 No. 5 overall pick who was hurt in the same game. He had knee surgery and will be out five to six months.

Laine, who was seen Monday at the Canadiens practice rink in crutches and with his left leg in a brace, hasn't played a full season since he was with the Winnipeg Jets early in his career.

He was limited to 56 games with the Blue Jackets in 2021-22 and 55 games the following season. Last season, he played only 18 games because of a fractured clavicle and a stint in the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program.

After requesting a trade, he was dealt in August to Montreal, along with a 2026 second-round pick, for defenseman Jordan Harris. The Canadiens took on his whole salary.

Montreal's Cole Caufield said the Canadiens were "excited to have a guy like that on the team" and it was devastating to "see him go down like that and be in pain."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Blue Jacket Patrik Laine out months after knee-on-knee hit during preseason game