St-Louis visibly irritated by questions about Patrik Laine’s return: 'I coach the players who are healthy'

During his press conference, while he appeared to be in good spirits ahead of the matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, the Canadiens bench boss stiffened in response to repeated questions about his No. 92 forward.

The Finnish winger has been practicing without restrictions with the regular group for two weeks now.

Despite this apparent recovery, he remains on the team’s injured list, with no specific timetable for a return to play.

When asked whether he needed to sit down with the player to discuss the situation, St-Louis redirected the issue to the medical staff.

The coach emphasized that he is focusing his energy on the players who are currently available and healthy.

Beyond the medical aspect, a mathematical reality is greatly complicating the sharpshooter’s reintegration into the lineup.

The Canadiens currently have the maximum allowed 23 active players on the roster.

To reactivate Laine, management will be forced to free up a spot by placing a player on waivers or assigning a waiver-exempt player.

However, the number of players who can be sent directly to Laval without going through waivers is quite limited.

This logistical constraint appears to be the real “stone in the shoe” for the organization at the moment.

Until that roster move is resolved, St-Louis will continue to deflect questions about his No. 92.

He was clearly not in a good mood when reporters started questioning him about Laine today.

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