Patrik Laine's injury leaves a big void in the Canadiens lineup, but it creates an avenue to acquiring what might be most vital to the team.

Unfortunately, Laine's time in Montreal got off to a scary start. The Finnish winger suffered a horrific knee injury after colliding with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare during Saturday's preseason matchup, just over a month after he was traded to the Canadiens.

While recording his podcast on Sunday evening, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that, while the Canadiens are trying to remain hopeful, the team is indeed preparing for the worst when it comes to Laine's seemingly devastating knee injury.