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Canadiens: Injury Bug Bites Hard

By Ryan Praught

MONTREAL, CANADA - JANUARY 19: Cole Caufield #22 of the Montreal Canadiens and Givani Smith #54 of the Florida Panthers skate against each other during the second period at Centre Bell on January 19, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, CANADA - JANUARY 19: Cole Caufield #22 of the Montreal Canadiens and Givani Smith #54 of the Florida Panthers skate against each other during the second period at Centre Bell on January 19, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 15: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers tangles with Jordan Harris #54 of the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden on January 15, 2023 in New York City. The Canadiens defeated the Rangers 2-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 15: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers tangles with Jordan Harris #54 of the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden on January 15, 2023 in New York City. The Canadiens defeated the Rangers 2-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Other Teams in the NHL have suffered a Lot Less From Injuries

Man Games Lost is a website designed to measure how many games players have missed from teams in their respective leagues. It’s a fantastic tool that allows us to get a glimpse at just how injured a team is. This is how we can conclude that no other team has suffered more from injuries than the Canadiens over the last two seasons. It’s not just an opinion but rather a factual statement.

While there are a few teams near the Canadiens in terms of man games lost, the vast majority of teams have suffered significantly less than the Canadiens. This specific tweet references that the Rangers have suffered so few injuries they could not possibly catch the Canadiens in this department. I would consider them an outlier, but most teams are still in similar boats. The same could be said for last season.

Nobody gets injured quite like Montreal. Now, there are some conclusions that could be drawn from this data that would explain a few things. First, there seems to be a correlation between injuries and non-playoff teams. But this could be a chicken or the egg situation. Are they non-playoff teams because of all the injuries, or are players now sitting out with nothing to play for? For instance, Cole Caufield said he believes he would still be playing this season if the Habs were competing for a playoff spot. But is that true for everyone?

It’s hard to say for sure, but even in that regard, it’s crazy to see the Canadiens leading the way in back-to-back years. Whether it’s fair or not, it’s bound to reflect poorly on the Canadiens’ medical staff, making many wonder if a change is necessary. If nothing else, a little more clarity would help ease those concerns.

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