Canadiens Need To Make Additions After 2 Players Have Surgeries

The Montreal Canadiens are starting to come back down to Earth after a very good start to the season. As it has gone in many recent seasons, injuries have already caught up to them. Patrik Laine has already been out of the lineup and has played just five games, but it was announced that two players have undergone surgeries and another is out with a different injury.

It was reported that Alex Newhook will miss four months after undergoing surgery for a fractured ankle. Defenseman Kaiden Guhle also underwent surgery to repair a torn adductor and he will miss 8-10 weeks, per Frank Seravalli. On top of that, Kirby Dach is injured again.

Guhle has only played five games this season, but Newhook was having a strong start with six goals and 12 points in 17 games. He has now missed one game for the Canadiens and the majority of the rest of the season. If all goes well, Newhook should be back in mid-March, just in time for the late-season playoff push. Fortunately for the Canadiens, Guhle should be back in late January or early February.

The Canadiens are looking much weaker up front and on defense now that some of the better players are coming out of the lineup with injuries. It has forced Montreal to bring up players like Joshua Roy, Marc Del Gaizo, and Jared Davidson, all of whom have combined for two games this season.

The Canadiens were already in need of an upgrade or two, but these long-term injuries have made that matter much more urgent. With all of the injured players expected to be back this season and most before the trade deadline, the Canadiens can't be thinking long-term upgrade unless it is a piece they can see contributing past this season. Those players who were called up were in the AHL for a reason. They either aren't ready or good enough. I would give them a small opportunity to flip the script right now, but be looking at a couple of minor upgrades like how the Toronto Maple Leafs just picked up Troy Stecher.