The Montreal Canadiens have dealt with more injuries than anyone else in the National Hockey League this season.
They have been forced to cal up just about everyone from the minor league roster, play games with just 16 skaters, use four different goaltenders and just have to find a way to put a lineup together and play on many nights.
The Canadiens have used 38 different players already this season as they dealt with injuries, absences and Covid outbreaks.
Today, they actually had a couple of players who have played fine at the NHL level get sent down to the Laval Rocket. Over the past two months, just about anyone who showed anything at the NHL level was able to stick around long term.
However, Lukas Vejdemo and Sami Niku were sent down to the Laval Rocket earlier today.
Vejdemo has played just six games with the Canadiens, scoring one point. But he has played well in a depth role and hasn’t hurt the team while on the ice. The 25 year old was a third round pick of the Canadiens in 2015 and had 13 points in 22 games for the Rocket his season before being called up.
Niku was signed in the days leading up to the start of the season and has played fine for the Canadiens. He has scored six points in 13 games and brought a fast pace and offensive minded mentality to the Habs blue line.
Vejdemo and Niku are not elite level players, but they can certainly handle themselves well at the NHL level. Them being sent down just shows the Canadiens are finally getting closer to being healthy than they have been in months.
We are suddenly a long way from the days where Cam Hillis, who is in the ECHL when most players are healthy, suiting up as one of 11 forwards in an NHL game.