Canadiens: Injury Bug Bites Hard

No team in the NHL has suffered more injuries during the last two seasons than the Montreal Canadiens. But whether you’re looking at it from a combined total or for each of the last two seasons, the Canadiens still lead in that department. Now injuries are a part of the game, but there has to be a point where enough is enough, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Canadiens haven’t reached that point.

Yes, injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, and there is no slider to toggle that turns injuries off, like in a video game. Every team needs to deal with them at some point, at any point. But the question needs to be asked. At what point for the Canadiens does it stop being a part of the game and start becoming a problem that needs to be addressed?

I’m sure fans would love to know exactly how the Canadiens intend to address this, and Kent Hughes himself has said that they will take a closer look at it in the off-season. This certainly adds credence to the idea that more can be done, as opposed to it being just an unlucky streak. The way the Habs compare to the rest of the NHL doesn’t help either.

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.

What’s Causing the Injuries?

We may never know for sure what’s going on behind closed doors, especially in this department. Players have the right to privacy, especially in regard to their health. This makes it difficult to understand why injuries are such a problem in Montreal. While Cole Caufield has been open and honest about his injury, it usually hasn’t been so transparent. And that’s understandable, but it has left everyone in the dark.

Ideally, even if the fans and reporters covering the team don’t know, Kent Hughes does. It could, perhaps, be a crazy streak of bad luck, but it could also be a lack of preparation or even over-preparation. Just looking at some of these injuries, it feels like there may be something the Habs can do. Numerous players have had shoulder injuries. Last season, Kent Hughes himself said they had a lot of back injuries. It makes me think they need to do more to help players be in the best shape possible to go out and perform.

Whatever the problem is, Hughes and his staff need to get to the bottom of it quickly because this cannot continue. Everything needs to be re-evaluated, from training methods to recovery to anything in between. No stone can be left unturned.