Laine will make his debut for the Canadiens against the Islanders

Patrik Laine will make his regular-season debut for the Montreal Canadiens against the New York Islanders on Tuesday (7:00 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MSGSN) at the Bell Center.

The forward, who resumed skating on November 20, participated in morning skating on a line with Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky.

Laine was expected to miss two to three months after spraining his left knee in a collision with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare in a preseason game at the Bell Center on Sept. 28. He opted out of surgery and began skating again November 6th.

Laine was acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on August 19 and last played for the Blue Jackets on December 14, 2023, when he suffered a broken collarbone. The 26-year-old forward has been under the care of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program since January 28th. He was removed from the program on July 26.

Laine, who scored 44 goals for the Winnipeg Jets in 2017-18, had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 18 games last season and has two seasons remaining on the four-year, $34.8 million contract (8. He signed on July 22, 2022.

He has 388 points (204 goals, 184 assists) in 480 games with the Blue Jackets and Jets and 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 24 Stanley Cup playoff games.