Montreal Canadiens rookie Guhle out for 2 months

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle (21) skates with the puck as Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) gives chase during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without rookie defenceman Kaiden Guhle for at least eight more weeks due to a lower-body injury.

The team announced the news Friday during an extensive medical evaluation.

The Tricolore also said forward Brendan Gallagher will be out for at least two weeks, while forward Sean Monahan and defenceman Mike Matheson have about two more weeks to recover. All three are dealing with lower body injuries.

Guhle was injured late in a game on Dec. 29 against the Florida Panthers. He fell under the weight of forward Aleksander Barkov and appeared to injure his leg.

In 36 games, the 20-year-old Albertan has two goals and 12 assists. Guhle has averaged 20:46 per game, which ranks third among NHL rookies this season.

Kaiden Guhle ratera au moins huit semaines d’activité en raison d’une blessure au bas du corps.

Kaiden Guhle has a lower-body injury. He’s sidelined for a minimum of eight weeks.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 6, 2023

In Gallagher's case, he is reportedly bothered by the same injury that sidelined him for 13 games in December. He returned to action on Dec. 29 against the Panthers, but appeared to be in pain in the next two games against the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators. He finally rested on Thursday against the New York Rangers.

In 25 games this season, Gallagher has four goals and five assists.

Monahan and Matheson have missed the last 13 and eight games, respectively. They started skating again before the regular season, but will likely need more time to get back into shape.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 6, 2023.