While the Canadiens pulled off a comeback victory on Thursday against Nashville, it came at a cost as three players are now injured. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury while center Kirby Dach and winger Patrik Laine are day-to-day with lower-body injuries as well. In a corresponding move, center Owen Beck has been recalled from AHL Laval on an emergency basis.
Guhle had gotten off to a solid start to the season, playing alongside Lane Hutson on Montreal’s second pairing. He had a goal and an assist through the first five games while adding five blocks and 16 hits in a little over 19 minutes a night. Guhle has missed at least a dozen games due to injuries in each of his first three NHL campaigns and that streak will now be extended with this injury. After being scratched on Thursday, Arber Xhekaj will take Guhle’s place in the lineup while the Canadiens will likely recall a defenseman in the near future to give them a seventh option.
Dach, meanwhile, is working his way back from a knee injury that ended his 2024-25 campaign prematurely. After managing his usage in the preseason, the Canadiens have limited his minutes a bit early on as he’s logging just 14:29 per night where he has a goal and an assist while anchoring their third line. As for Laine, he’s off to a quiet start in his contract year with just one assist through his first five appearances while predominantly playing on the fourth line. That’s not an ideal start but now this day-to-day injury will give him a quick reset.
Beck was one of Montreal’s final training camp cuts for the second straight season after Oliver Kapanen beat him out for the final spot on the roster. He has played in three games with AHL Laval so far this season, picking up a goal and an assist. Beck had 44 points in 64 games with the Rocket in his rookie year while also getting into a dozen games with the Canadiens where he had one assist.
Guhle, Laine and Dach hurt? Shocking!