Patrik Laine's regular season -- and his chase for the Rocket Richard trophy as the league's leading goal-scorer -- could be over. Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice announced Thursday afternoon that his star 19-year-old winger was recovering from a bruise on his right leg. Laine suffered the injury while blocking a shot in a game on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings and is expected to be out of the lineup for the next 4-14 days.
Patrik Laine has a bruise. 4-14 days is the expectation of how long he will be out. Maurice says Nashville game is unlikely.
— Sean Reynolds (@snseanreynolds) March 22, 2018
While that's likely frustrating news for Laine, whose 43 goals this season are just behind Alex Ovechkin (44) for the league lead, the good news is that it's a relatively short-term injury. There was some concern that Laine had suffered a broken bone on the play, which would have been a brutal blow for the Jets just prior to the playoffs.
Instead, Winnipeg can allow Laine to rest up and heal over the next few weeks as it gears up for the postseason. The Jets are in good position to coast into the playoffs as the second seed in the Central Division.
Here's a look at the play in which Laine suffered the injury:
The 19-year-old Finnish winger, who was taken with the second overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, has been a force for the Jets in his sophomore season, recording 43 goals and 68 points in 73 games.
