Pair of Canadiens expected to miss extended time

The injuries keep piling up for the Montreal Canadiens.

The club announced on Tuesday afternoon that defenseman Jordan Harris will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, who was placed on injured reserve on Monday, will miss six to eight weeks, also with a lower-body injury.

Harris is in his third NHL season, registering three assists in 16 games. The former Northeastern University captain made his NHL debut after his college career concluded in 2022, scoring once in a 10-game stretch. Harris entered the NHL rookie race in 2022-23, scoring four goals and 17 points while missing 13 games due to lower-body injuries.

The Canadiens will call up a player later on Tuesday to fill the roster spot.

Harvey-Pinard has missed the past two games with his injury. The 24-year-old has recorded four assists in 13 games in a bottom-six role for the Canadiens. The high-energy winger impressed in his first extended NHL stint last year, scoring 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games. The 5-foot-9 Quebec native built up a solid AHL career before making the Habs on a full-time basis, scoring 46 goals and 107 points in 145 games. Harvey-Pinard had a career-best 56 points in 2021-22, his first full AHL campaign.

Montreal previously called up Jayden Struble on Monday, with the potential for him to make his NHL career debut against Anaheim on Wednesday.

The Canadiens have been hit hard by the injury bug once again this year. Arber Xhekaj will not travel with the club on the team’s upcoming three-game road trip with an upper-body issue. Both Harris and Harvey-Pinard have missed games due to injuries this year, while Kaiden Guhle, Michael Matheson and Christian Dvorak have both dealt with issues. Kirby Dach is out for the season after suffering a lower-body injury in early October, while David Savard had an initial two-month timeline back in October after injurying his hand.

Montreal currently sits tied for last with Ottawa in the Atlantic Division with 16 points. The Canadiens have lost the past four games and have a 2-7-1 record over the past 10 games.