Montreal Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj will undergo surgery on his right shoulder, and his season is over, while all signs point to defenceman Kaiden Guhle being ready to return to the lineup.
The Canadiens provided a medical update on some of the team's players following Saturday night's 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre.
The most important news was about Xhekaj. Xhekaj was injured in a fight with Vincent Desharnais during the Tricolore's 6-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 12.
The Canadiens announced that he will undergo surgery next week in Denver with Dr. Peter J. Millett. No timetable was given for his rehabilitation, but a Habs spokesperson said Xhekaj should be back in time for the start of camp in September.
Xhekaj, who was undrafted in the NHL, earned a spot on the Habs' roster during camp last fall. He scored five goals and eight assists in 51 games in his first pro campaign.
He made his mark with his physical play and numerous fights. He still led the NHL Saturday night with 101 penalty minutes this season.
The Habs also announced Saturday night that defenceman Corey Schueneman has been sent to the Laval Rocket. With only five active defencemen on the roster as a result of this move, it appears that Guhle will be back in action on Tuesday when the Tricolore visit the San Jose Sharks.
Guhle suffered a knee injury on Dec. 29 against the Florida Panthers. He has missed his team's last 23 games.
Prior to the injury, Guhle had two goals and 12 assists in 36 games. The rookie defenceman was averaging 20:46 per game.
Defenceman Joel Edmundson, who has been battling an upper-body injury since Jan. 26, will also accompany the Habs to San Jose.
Edmundson is expected to practice on Monday. He returned to solo practice on Feb. 10. He will likely participate in a few practices before making a return to the game.
The Habs also said forwards Sean Monahan (foot), Joel Armia (respiratory infection) and Kirby Dach (lower body) will not accompany their teammates on the four-game trip against Pacific teams.
Armia's health is being reassessed on a daily basis. The duration of Dach's absence remains undetermined. No timetable has been mentioned for Monahan.
No information was given about Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher was still wearing a protective boot on his right foot when he left the Bell Centre on Saturday. The Canadiens announced on Jan. 11 that he would be out for at least six weeks. It will obviously be longer.
Gallagher has played in only three games since the beginning of December. He has been limited to 25 games this season and has four goals and five assists.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 26, 2023.
