Habs forward gets hit from behind in practice and Patrik Laine steps in
Montreal is arguably the most hockey-crazed market in the NHL, so when a physical incident occurred at practice with Laine involved, everyone perked up.
At Canadiens skates today, defenceman David Savard hit Michael Pezzetta into the boards from behind. It was a soft hit with no intention to injure, but Pezzetta still went down quickly. Then, Laine stepped in from the back to jokingly bear hug Savard, like he would in a scrum during a real game.
It's a lighthearted moment in practice, and there obviously no bad intent between the players. On the contrary actually, it's great for the Canadiens to see their players practicing hard, and to see Laine be this engaged and willing to participate.
The Canadiens shocked the NHL by pulling off their trade to acquire the formerly elite goal scorer for practically nothing in trade assets. The Habs are assuming plenty of risk with Laine being paid $8.7M for the next two years, but for a player who is only 26 years old and scored 80 goals in his first two seasons - it may be worth the gamble. The Canadiens only gave up Jordan Harris to acquire Laine and a second round draft pick.
Laine is also coming out of the Player Assistance Program for mental health reasons, and there may have been some valid concerns about handling the hot hockey market of Montreal. To see him practicing hard and engaged with his teammates this early on is a great sign for the Habs.
Source for Laine Stats and Salary: PuckPedia - Patrik Laine
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