Yesterday at the Bell Centre, the focus was put on mental health and Montreal Canadiens' sniper Patrik Laine appeared on Podcast Spitting Chicklets.

The Canadiens will have cap space, and there's a player who has recently shown interest in joining Montreal via free agency.

MONTREAL -- The 4 Nations Face-Off starts three weeks from Wednesday in Montreal, but the rivalry between Sweden and Finland is already heating up. Just ask Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine, who will represent Finland on his home rink at Bell Centre in Montreal.

Patrik Laine has made an enormous impact on the Montreal Canadiens since his return. Montreal has gone 12-5-1 with him in the lineup, a complete turnaround from their 8-13-3 start. The Canadiens have caught fire and moved to within two points of a playoff spot.

However, the Canadiens organization has just provided clarification. The real reason for Patrik Laine's absence at the moment, and why he is not accompanying the team to Washington, is that he is still not at 100%. See what the excellent journalist Eric Engels published.

The Canadiens won't have Patrik Laine, who hasn't played since New Year's Eve, in their lineup against the Capitals on Friday.

Getting a healthy Patrik Laine back in the lineup would certainly increase the Canadiens' chances of beating the Capitals. The Finnish forward has missed Montreal's last three games with an illness, leaving time to tell if he'd be healthy enough to make his way to Washington, D.C.

My Canadiens vs Lightning predictions expect a competitive matchup between the teams, with Patrik Laine continuing to play his best hockey on home ice. Let’s take a closer look with my NHL picks for Tuesday, January 21 ahead of this 7 p.m. ET puck drop.

Jake Evans scored the winning goal with 2:15 remaining to rally the Montreal Canadiens past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2.

Laine has been open about his mental health and his past struggles and you have to imagine he did receive help for his video games addiction when he took part in the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Player Assistance Program.

Is the Canadiens organization planning to call up anyone (to fill in for Owen Beck) in view of tomorrow’s game in Detroit? We can assume that with the CH practicing this morning in Brossard before heading to Michigan,