Leaf notes: Laine out 2-3 months, Reinbacher longer after T.O. tussle

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After surgery to David Reinbacher sidelined him until spring, the Montreal Canadiens needed some good knee news with Patrik Laine. 

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While Laine is going to miss significant time after a controversial collision with Toronto’s Cedric Pare on Saturday, the injury has been diagnosed as a sprain the team announced late Tuesday, his absence now projected at two to three months. Up to double that span was forecast if there was worse internal damage as first feared as he was helped off of the Bell Centre ice. 

Reinbacher, last year’s first round pick and fifth overall, was operated on Tuesday and will miss four to five months the team said. He was hurt on his first shift, landing awkwardly after being hit by Maple Leaf rookie Marshall Rifai. The Austrian-born star was likely headed for the AHL Laval Rocket farm team this year. 

But Rifai’s check was not at all the disputed play that followed moments later when Laine tried to dart through the Leaf defence and got knee-on-knee trauma when farmhand Cedric Pare tried to block him.  

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Laine was about to get a new start in Montreal after earlier injuries and NHL adjustment issues. Pare wasn’t going to make the Leafs’ roster, but Canadiens’ parent team enforcer Arber Xhekaj tried to pummel him during Saturday’s 2-1 Toronto victory. 

“I think our group has been very good at controlling what they can and moving on,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said Tuesday before the Laine news. “And I think we’ve done that without necessarily, like, not worrying about Patty and Reinbacher. Obviously, we care for them, but I think the group has an attitude of just, ‘let’s keep going boys’.” 

IT STARTS AT THE TOP 

Toronto coach Craig Berube comes from the Mike Keenan coaching family tree. 

Berube’s rookie year on the Philadelphia Flyers was under Keenan when the latter was establishing his no-nonsense reputation and Keenan is pleased to have seen Berube grow to win a Stanley Cup in St. Louis and be entrusted with getting Toronto over its playoff hump. 

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Promoting his new memoir, Iron Mike, Tuesday morning on CITY-TV’s Breakfast Television, the 74-year-old Keenan was asked how Berube should go about changing the playoff demeanor of a Leaf room dominated so long by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. They strong regular-season numbers, but a collective single series’ win since 2017. 

“He has a really good attitude in terms of changing that culture,” Keenan said of Berube. “But he has to go to the top players and make sure they are buying in to what he believes in and what he wants done. If you can do that, not just one top player, but a group of them can change and get to that next level. 

“They haven’t got there and that’s what he’s here for.” 

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SHELDON SHIELDED 

If former Leaf coach Sheldon Keefe wanted to start his new job with the Devils away from the Toronto media and indeed the rest of the curious NHL, the schedule maker delivered. 

Keefe’s first game on New Jersey’s bench will be 6,700 kilometres from Toronto, in Prague, as part of the NHL’s season-opening Global Series Czechia against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. The two teams also play Saturday. 

The short window to start Jersey’s camp, to pick a split squad for the trip, then get there a few days ago has made Keefe and his staff a bit dizzy. But they don’t intend to let the logistics interfere with their long range plans to get back in the playoff hunt after missing last year.    

“We’re still learning for sure,” Keefe told nhl.com in Prague. “But guys want to learn, get better and want to build something sustainable here, recognizing it’s not going to happen overnight.” 

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The Devils get nearly a week’s rest after the series, flying back to ready for their home opener, Oct. 10th against the Leafs. 

WILL HE BE SWAYED? 

The Leafs are naturally paying plenty of attention to the stand-off between free agent Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman and his impatient team. 

Things got heated this week, right in front of media, when club president Cam Neely publically alluded to a $64 million US offer the team made, bringing a sharp denial from agent Lewis Gross.
“We are extremely disappointed,” Gross posted on instagram. “This was not fair to Jeremy. We will take a few days to discuss where we go from here.  

It has certainly put Boston general manager Don Sweeney in a pickle, but he has vowed to keep the lines of communication open with Gross. 

“We still have a gap to bridge,” the GM said. “We’re going to try to continue to do that.” 

Swayman and Linus Ullmark once seemed inseparable as Boston’s tandem with their celebratory post-game bear hugs. But after trading Ullmark to Ottawa and committing to Swayman, the Bruins will have to go with backup Joonas Korpisalo as their opening night starter next Tuesday in Florida until the Swayman spat is settled. 

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X: @sunhornby 

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