When the Canadiens acquired Phillip Danault a little before the holiday roster freeze, they added a $5.5MM price tag to their books. Even after assigning Jared Davidson to the minors, they still weren’t cap-compliant. As a result, GM Kent Hughes revealed during his media availability today (video link) that the team has placed defenseman Kaiden Guhle and center Kirby Dach on LTIR.
Guhle has been out of the lineup since mid-October due to an adductor injury. The original plan was to simply rehab it but after returning to the ice a few weeks later as he tried to work his way back to full health, the decision was made to have the surgery. The recovery timeline for that procedure is eight to ten weeks, meaning he’s still four to six weeks away from returning. Guhle has averaged over 20 minutes a night of playing time in each of his first three NHL seasons and, when healthy, is a top-four fixture on Montreal’s back end.
As for Dach, he has missed the last month after sustaining a fractured foot. The initial recovery timeline was six to eight weeks and it appears he’s on track as he has resumed skating. Hughes indicated that the 24-year-old won’t be back before the holiday break but shouldn’t be out much longer than that. Dach has five goals and two assists in 15 games this season, his last one before becoming a restricted free agent with a $4MM qualifying offer and arbitration rights next offseason.
With the two placements, Montreal now has around $2.5MM in its LTIR pool, per PuckPedia. That gives them ample room to afford recalls if more injuries strike in the short term. Meanwhile, if they still need LTIR room when Dach returns, they can transfer either Patrik Laine or Alex Newhook on there; both are out for multiple months as well.