Canadiens activate defenseman off IR

The Canadiens activated defenseman Jordan Harris off injured reserve Thursday, per a team release. To stay under the 23-player roster limit, Montreal returned winger Emil Heineman to AHL Laval in a corresponding transaction.

Harris is projected to return to the lineup tonight against the Hurricanes in a third-pairing role alongside Jayden Struble, reuniting a pair of former Northeastern University teammates. He missed 15 games with a lower-body injury sustained just one game after returning from an upper-body injury that sidelined him for two contests.

The 23-year-old Harris is in the first season of a two-year, $2.8M extension signed with Montreal last February. Through 16 games this season before his injuries, Harris logged three assists and a -7 rating while averaging 18:44 per game.

Advanced metrics label the 5-foot-11 American as a slightly below-average defender, posting a 46% Corsi share at even strength that exceeds only Kaiden Guhle and Gustav Lindström among Canadiens defensemen this season. He’s still got a few seasons ahead of him to continue his development, however, and there remains optimism that he can break away from the Canadiens’ large group of mid-tier defense prospects to lock down a top-four role by the time he reaches restricted free agency again in 2025.

Meanwhile, Heineman returns to the minors after making his first NHL appearances late last week in back-to-back games. Averaging only 7:50 in road tilts against the Blackhawks and Wild, Heineman failed to take a shot on goal but recorded two hits and a +1 rating. The 22-year-old will continue his development in Laval, with whom he has one goal and four points in seven games this season. Heineman missed most of October and all of November with an injury.