As the pre-season chugs along, star players sadly continue to get injured.
In this article, we’ll look at the fiasco that was the Toronto Maple Leafs versus Montréal Canadiens game on Saturday. Moreover, a top prospect scored two goals in the Philadelphia Flyers’ win.
Let’s dig into the latest Around the NHL!

Patrik Laine left Saturday’s game with an injury

Early in the first period of Saturday’s game, Patrik Laine went knee-on-knee with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cédric Paré, needing help down the hall. It doesn’t look good.
It’s been a tough few seasons for Laine. Originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets, the winger spent parts of five seasons there, including scoring a career-high 44 goals and 70 points in 82 games in 2017-18.
Early in the 2020-21 season, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he had a couple 20-goal seasons in 55-56 games, but missed most of the 2023-24 season due to an injury and joining the NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Laine requested a trade from the Blue Jackets, and eventually got it after being cleared from the Player Assistance Program, as the Montréal Canadiens traded Jordan Harris to the Blue Jackets for Laine and a second-round pick in the 2026 draft.
Moreover, Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj was fined the maximum amount for unsportsmanlike conduct, as he attempted to fight Paré later in the game. He was given a game misconduct as well.
Hopefully, this is a case of the injury looking worse than it actually is and Laine can return at some point this season.

David Reinbacher also left Saturday’s game with an injury

Laine wasn’t the only Canadiens player injured in this game, as their first-round pick from the 2023 draft, David Reinbacher, also suffered an injury and didn’t return. According to Patrick Friolet of RDS, Reinbacher left the game with crutches and a knee brace (as did Laine).
Reinbacher was selected fifth-overall in the 2023 draft and had a rough season in 2023-24 with EHC Kloten of the National League, scoring a goal and 11 points in 35 games. However, after moving to North America to end the 2023-24 season, the right-shot defenceman scored two goals and five points in 11 games for the Laval Rocket.
Once again, you hope it’s a case of an injury looking worse than it actually is. Reinbacher was set to start the season with the Canadiens American Hockey League team, and it’s a big season in his development. Hopefully he can return to the ice sooner rather than later.

Matvei Michkov scored twice in Flyers’ overtime win

Drafted two selections after Reinbacher in the 2023 draft was Matvei Michkov. The Russian forward was thought to be the second-best prospect available in the draft behind Connor Bedard.
On Saturday evening, he scored two goals in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 3-2 overtime victory against the Boston Bruins, including scoring the game-winning goal in overtime.
Last season with Sochi HC of the Kontinental Hockey League, Michkov scored 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games as a 19-year-old. The reason he dropped so low is because it was expected he wouldn’t come to North America until his contract in the KHL finished, but he and SKA St. Petersburg mutually agreed to terminate his deal.
Just like that, the Flyers get one of the best prospects in the game significantly sooner than many believed they would.
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