Here’s where we stand with all the Canadiens’ injuries

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Here’s where we stand with all the Canadiens’ injuries
Credit: X / Patrick Guillet

The Canadiens had the morning off from practice. They'll be back on the ice for practice tomorrow, on the heels of their showdown with the Detroit Red Wings.

But there were a few guys (mostly injured) on the ice in Brossard this morning. Our colleague Pat Guillet was there to report everything.

This gives us a clearer picture of the Montreal Canadiens' injured players.

Kirby Dach is a mystery case. The GM recently spoke of a potential eight-week absence… and eight weeks brings us to January 11, two days from now.

Will Dach, who wears a boot as a precaution when he walks, be ready to return to action next week? We're wondering, as he'll need to be in top form to start playing again.

In the last few days, he started skating again. He wasn't necessarily the most intense of men recently, and seemed to be proceeding with some caution.

But today, colleague Guillet thought he looked more like a regular.

Of necessity, if he's close to a return, it's going to put pressure on the guys in the lineup. Is that why Owen Beck (either on his own initiative or at the club's request) decided to skate with the injured this morning?

Did he want to show that he's motivated? After all, he's at risk of being cut eventually.

Kaiden Guhle is also an interesting case. We thought he might play yesterday, but the Canadiens didn't want to break their winning formula from the Flames game.

But with Adam Engstrom down, it's only a matter of time before we see #21 again. Will we see him tomorrow?

Guhle looked good in practice this morning. That's no surprise, considering he's the closest thing to a return to action that the injured player has.

But it's noticeable all the same.

It remains to be seen whether we'll see him with Lane Hutson (who was obviously on the ice this morning… because Lane Hutson needs hockey to breathe, obviously) or on a third pair.

To be continued in due course. Tomorrow's practice could potentially give us some answers.

Jake Evans skated in full gear this morning. He's been skating in a tracksuit for the past few days, which means he's on the right track.

On January 17, it will be four weeks since his injury. We had announced an absence of four to six weeks.

So we don't feel that Evans' return is necessarily imminent. That's normal: he's still a little early in his rehabilitation process – and Phillip Danault is buying the Habs time.

Evans only skated for about 25 minutes this morning.

Josh Anderson didn't skate this morning. Patrick Guillet spotted him in the CN Complex, but he didn't jump on the ice with the club's other injured players.

Let's not forget that Josh Anderson is injured somewhere (upper body? hip?) and that he should return to the game… one day. I say that because the Habs haven't announced anything about him since the January 1 game, which Anderson didn't finish.

Patrik Laine hasn't skated either. He had been spotted on the ice in recent days, but that's obviously not the case for him today.

This doesn't mean that his rehab is a setback, since an injured skater doesn't necessarily skate seven times a week. But it is noticeable.

On October 25, the Habs announced that Laine would be out for three to four months (sports hernia). That brings us to the end of January or February, either just before or just after the Olympic Games.

Would you be surprised if Laine were to push for a return before the Games, as an injury option for the Finns?

Alex Newhook is the player who will theoretically return last – as far as we know – from the squad. He's still two months away from his due date (mid-March) following his ankle injury.

It's too early to report anything in his case, of course.


overtime

– Calling all interested parties.

– Anton Lundell: $5,000 fine for his gesture against Olympian Alexandre Texier. The NHL protects its stars, hehe.

– Really?

– Connor Bedard back tonight.

– Of note.

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