Canadiens: Injuries Continue to Mount for the Habs Ahead of Road Trip
By Ryan Praught
Well, it had been a couple of weeks since the injury bug bit the Canadiens, but it came calling nonetheless. On Tuesday, the Canadiens announced that forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and defenseman Jordan Harris will miss extended periods of time due to lower-body injuries.
Harvey-Pinard initially got hurt versus the Coyotes back in early November before returning for three games. But he hadn’t played since the Canadiens game versus Calgary last Tuesday. The club announced he will miss six to eight weeks and has been placed on IR. The original hope was that he’d be day-to-day, but that’s obviously no longer the case.
Harvey-Pinard had yet to score this season but had four assists in 13 games and was an effective penalty-killer for the Canadiens. Still, expectations were perhaps a little higher after he scored 14 goals in 34 games last season. He had some chances but couldn’t bury any of them.
L’attaquant Rafaël Harvey-Pinard ratera de six à huit semaines d’activités en raison d’une blessure au bas du corps.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 21, 2023
Forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.
The prognosis on Harris is still undetermined, as the Canadiens have said he’ll be out for an indefinite period of time. Harris missed Montreal’s games versus Calgary and Vegas last week but returned and played over 20 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Bruins.
On the season, Harris has three points in 16 games, playing almost 19 minutes a night. He kills penalties and is a big part of Montreal’s blueline. Losing him is a big deal for the Habs. The Canadiens defenseman did not make the trip to California with the team.
Defenseman Jordan Harris will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. He will leave the team today to undergo further testing and a thorough evaluation of his condition.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 21, 2023
The team will recall a player later today.
The Canadiens are already down defenseman Arber Xhekaj, who did not make the trip to California due to a shoulder injury he sustained Thursday night versus Vegas. The Canadiens have yet to announce a timetable for his return. The Habs can’t really afford to lose him for an extended period of time, with Harris and David Savard both out.
Montreal called up defenseman Jayden Struble to the NHL yesterday, where he will likely see his first NHL action this week. We’ll have to wait and see who gets called up to replace Harris. Struble has six points in 12 games with the Laval Rocket in the AHL this season.
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