Canadiens will ride with Michael Pezzetta after Juraj Slafkovsky's injury update

Juraj Slafkovsky didn't look right in practice before the Montreal Canadiens' matchup with the New York Islanders. Fans believed he'd be a game-time decision after it looked like he suffered a shoulder injury during the skate. However, game time came with little of an update, and Slafkovsky was in the lineup. It worried fans that Slafkovsky injured himself on a seemingly innocent practice play, and their fears came true on Tuesday morning when the team announced he'd be out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

Slafkovsky had been under fire for not looking like the dominant player many expected him to be this season. His line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield wasn't working out either, which prompted us to wonder if a change was needed. The Canadiens may or may not have been planning a change, but they'll have no choice with this newest injury update. Slafkovsky will miss at least three games this week and maybe more if the injury lingers. It isn't all bad for the Canadiens and Slafkovsky, as he hadn't looked good but still had a point per game.

Joshua Roy was a candidate to get the call-up and replace Slafkovsky in the lineup. Martin St. Louis didn't like what he saw from Roy in the preseason, but he has three points in his first four American Hockey League games. Roy needed a wake-up call after the poor training camp, but they still haven't seen enough to put him in Montreal.

Michael Pezzetta will take Slafkovsky's spot in the lineup. The move will change some things for the Canadiens, as Kirby Dach will be on the first line. Oliver Kapanen moves to the second line to center Alex Newhook and Joel Armia, the best spot for him to succeed. Kapanen looks weak on the wing, but the center is his strength. Jake Evans will center the third line with Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher, while Pezzetta draws in on the fourth with Christian Dvorak and Emil Heineman.

Pezzetta isn't going to replace Slafkovsk's production, as he had just 12 points in 61 games last season. He will make the Canadiens tougher to play against, which could benefit them against a big, physical Rangers team. The injury bug continues to eat away at the Canadiens, and it's soon time to start looking within for the organization and figure out if its something they are doing wrong.