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Canadiens’ Christian Dvorak Out for the Rest of the Season

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Trege Wilson | Last updated 1/4/24

The Montreal Canadiens have been hit with another significant injury. The list of injuries keeps getting longer as the Canadiens are on pace for another record-breaking season of man-games lost.

With their number two center, Kirby Dach , already out for the season with an MCL/ACL tear, the Canadiens were short at the center position. Then Alex Newhook, replacing Dach at center, went down with a high ankle sprain and was expected to miss 10-12 weeks. Now, Christian Dvorak has suffered a significant upper-body injury and will miss the rest of the season.

Canadiens Dvorak Injured Again

Dvorak started the season on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) with a knee injury and missed the first ten games of 2023-24. He played the next 25 games as the third-line center, scoring three goals and seven points while also playing on the second power-play unit and penalty kill. He was ruled out for the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on New Year’s Eve with an upper-body injury and hasn’t played since.

After evaluation, it was determined that Dvorak has a torn pectoral muscle and will undergo surgery on Friday (Jan. 5). He has yet to play an entire season for the Canadiens since he was acquired in 2021 from the Arizona Coyotes for a first and second-round pick. In 147 games with the Habs, he has 24 goals and 68 points.

The Dvorak injury leaves another hole at the center for the Canadiens, but they should be okay since Jake Evans has played on the wing since Tanner Pearson was injured. This will move Evans back to center but leaved Montreal two forwards short. At least one call-up is expected before the game against the Buffalo Sabers tonight.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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