Player Discussion Patrik Laine: Part 2 - Healthy Living Edition

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Wow, rds reporter Luc Gelinas saying Laine doesn't really have the flu. He says no one at the rink thinks he has the flu. He thinks there's something else going on behind the scene.

at the 2:18 mark:

Strange to compare it to the Dadonov situation, the scenarios are nothing alike. Dadonov was not wanted at any point and he didn’t want to be here at any point and he never integrated with the team at any point.

Laine was a cap dump but the Habs wanted him and rated his upside and he seemed pretty damn eager to make it work. Unless something has changed dramatically in a few months I don’t see any reason to make the comparison.

Will the Habs lie about “flu symptoms”? Absolutely 100% they will and they have.

But it makes me wonder… (see below)

Isnt like the second time Laine does not play because hes "sick"? It’s pretty rare for players to miss games for being too sick so twice in the same season is pretty suspicious.
It’s crunch time and the Habs are trying to make the playoffs. We have zero scoring depth. I don’t think he’s being benched by MSL or Hughes. (And if he was, he wouldn’t be left out of practice, now would he?)

So I’m thinking it’s either (1) some sort of covert disciplinary action from the Habs against Laine, (2) cover for another injury or sensitive topic (mental health being an obvious concern), or (3) it’s flu season and he’s got it bad.

All three are unfortunate and but only the first two are a real concerns.

As an aside, there is a young player for the German soccer team by the name Aleks Pavlović and he’s suffered from multiple (4+) infections in the last 12 months, with his most recent one (“major viral infection”) taking him out for a month. I figure he has mono, but who knows. I had the worst infection/illness of my adult life in December and only starting feeling normal and totally symptom-free by end of Feb… some friends are dealing with major infection issues too, I wonder if this is in some way related to our friend Covid or if it is a product of the slightly more harsh winter we’re suddenly getting in the northern hemisphere?
 
that's a pretty awkward sequence with Luc Gelinas concerning Laine. Has he played since that incident with Slafskovsky in practice?
I hope it's really the flu, but I have a hard time seeing this guy back with Habs.
Then again, what team will trade for him?
 
skip

As an aside, there is a young player for the German soccer team by the name Aleks Pavlović and he’s suffered from multiple (4+) infections in the last 12 months, with his most recent one (“major viral infection”) taking him out for a month. I figure he has mono, but who knows. I had the worst infection/illness of my adult life in December and only starting feeling normal and totally symptom-free by end of Feb… some friends are dealing with major infection issues too, I wonder if this is in some way related to our friend Covid or if it is a product of the slightly more harsh winter we’re suddenly getting in the northern hemisphere?
There is a lots of virus going around since last year, including Covid still being a thing. Covid attack the immune system so it can weaken you against other stuff for a while. But the flu is apparently a H1N1 variant this flu-season. It always hit like a truck, unless you are vaccinated.

And climate change studies have theorized for a few years that it will cause more infectueus diseases to spread as well.
 
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Strange to compare it to the Dadonov situation, the scenarios are nothing alike. Dadonov was not wanted at any point and he didn’t want to be here at any point and he never integrated with the team at any point.

Laine was a cap dump but the Habs wanted him and rated his upside and he seemed pretty damn eager to make it work. Unless something has changed dramatically in a few months I don’t see any reason to make the comparison.

Will the Habs lie about “flu symptoms”? Absolutely 100% they will and they have.

But it makes me wonder… (see below)
At the TDL presser, Hughes was asked about Laine. He said something like: he's been through a lot personally and health wise. He has one more year on his contract. We'll re-evaluate in the summer. The coaching staff want him to work on the defensive side.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of a potential he sees for Laine to work out. And I don't think Laine is happy with his 5 on 5 rioe... we'll see...
 
At the TDL presser, Hughes was asked about Laine. He said something like: he's been through a lot personally and health wise. He has one more year on his contract. We'll re-evaluate in the summer. The coaching staff want him to work on the defensive side.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of a potential he sees for Laine to work out. And I don't think Laine is happy with his 5 on 5 rioe... we'll see...
I don’t want to seem like a fanboy or in denial but those comments seemed perfectly fair to me. Laine doesn’t get a ringing endorsement — and why would he?

He’s been playing rather badly but still producing points.

Whether you think he’s hobbled (like I do) or he’s lazy is another matter… I think Kent’s comments are on the money. Unlike many others, Kent gives credit to and acknowledges Laine’s injury “baggage”. I would do the same.

If there’s a positive trend by the end of the season I think we’ll have reason to be optimistic for his impact next year. I think his stamina and strength are low and his knee is ginger. His balance is off. His whole physical game is strange. Good that his contract has one more year (and only one more year). Perfect timing, imo.
 
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I don’t want to seem like a fanboy or in denial but those comments seemed perfectly fair to me. Laine doesn’t get a ringing endorsement — and why would he?

He’s been playing rather badly but still producing points.

Whether you think he’s hobbled (like I do) or he’s lazy is another matter… I think Kent’s comments are on the money. Unlike many others, Kent gives credit to and acknowledges Laine’s injury “baggage”. I would do the same.

If there’s a positive trend by the end of the season I think we’ll have reason to be optimistic for his impact next year. I think his stamina and strength are low and his knee is ginger. His balance is off. His whole physical game is strange. Good that his contract has one more year (and only one more year). Perfect timing, imo.
I agree with you.

I'm just saying, if Laine indeed doesn't have the flu, and Gelinas is right, well, I don't know what's going on. I wouldn't be surprised to hear there's unhappiness on either side, or both...But I'm not saying there is.
 

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