The Montreal Canadiens announced, prior to Saturday night’s game against the New York Rangers, that defenceman Kaiden Guhle will be out of the lineup with a lower-body injury for four to six weeks.
Guhle was most likely injured during Thursday night’s comeback victory over the Nashville Predators. The 23-year-old defenceman left the ice in apparent discomfort halfway through the 3rd period and did not return to the ice for the rest of the game, although he did stay on the bench.
Through five games, Guhle has been a staple of the Canadiens blueline, playing almost 20 minutes per night while adding a goal and an assist. In his absence, the Habs will play both Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble on a regular basis, having picked one or the other up to this point.
The Canadiens also announced that forwards Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine will miss Saturday night’s game against the Rangers. Both players are listed as day-to-day with lower body injuries. Neither appeared in any visible discomfort during the Predators’ game, with Dach even taking a prolonged shift in overtime.
In response, Owen Beck has been recalled from the Laval Rocket. The Port Hope, Ontario-native has a goal and an assist in three games so far with Laval. Joe Veleno will likely take the other vacant forward spot in the roster, marking his first NHL appearance for the Canadiens.
