It’s been a tough start to the season for the Montreal Canadiens and first-year Habs right winger Patrik Laine, who's recovering from a knee injury suffered in the pre-season.

However, Laine now has another light at the end of the tunnel, with the prospect of playing for his native Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off from Feb. 12 to 20.

“At this point, there is another month and we’ll see where we are at, for everybody,” Finland GM Jere Lehtinen told NHL.com during the 2024 NHL Global Series games in Finland last weekend. “It’s about health and how the players look and how they are playing. When it is time, then we’ll know. Right now, we haven’t made any decisions.”

The Canadiens were obviously hoping for a full season from Laine when they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets this summer. But once Laine does return to action, he doesn’t have to set the NHL on fire to be named to the Finnish team for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

In fact, he should really be an automatic addition.

When we put together our projected teams for the 4 Nations Face-Off this summer, we had Laine slotted in as Finland’s second-best right winger behind Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen. That ranking hasn’t changed simply because Laine is hurt.

Related: 4 Nations Face-Off: USA And Canada May Be Favorites, But Look Out For Sweden And Finland

While it’s true younger Finnish players, including Rangers right winger Kaapo Kakko and Seattle right winger Eeli Tolvanen, could be in a position to take on more responsibility at the 4 Nations Face-Off, you don’t want to not include Laine just because he won’t have played as many NHL games as his colleagues this season.

The Finns know exactly what Laine can do, which is score at even strength or on the power play, as well as be a playmaker and rack up assists when needed. Although he only had six goals and nine points in 18 games last year, he had 22 goals and 52 points in 55 games in 2022-23 and 26 goals and 56 points in 56 games the season before.

It’s been a bumpy ride for Laine this year – and longer than that, really, as he's dealt with injuries and worked on his mental health – but the 4 Nations Face-Off is a chance to get him back on the right track in high-stakes games. Finland will be better for his inclusion, and Laine will be better for the opportunity to play elite, meaningful hockey on an international stage. It’s a beneficial situation for both sides, and that’s why Laine should still be a lock to represent his homeland in this high-profile series.

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