One of the best veterans on the Montreal Canadiens is having more injury problems.
Tanner Pearson, who suffered an upper body injury, is expected to miss the next four to six weeks, according to the Habs, who announced on Wednesday that they are placing him on injured reserve.
After removing a puck from his hand during the opening period of Montreal’s game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night, the 31-year-old sustained injuries. He was declared out of the contest during the first half of intermission.
To cover the roster void, the Canadiens announced that Emil Heineman would be called up from their American Hockey League affiliate, Laval Rocket.
In the Canadiens’ 3-2 victory over the Sabres, Pearson was struck in the right hand. It is noteworthy that Pearson, who was a member of the Vancouver Canucks in November, broke a bone in his left hand, causing him to miss the majority of the previous season. Although a second surgery was required to treat a post-surgical infection, he was still anticipated to return at some point, which infuriated both teammates and supporters.
Following his September trade to Montreal, Pearson has experienced a somewhat disappointing year. He has four goals and four assists in 27 games, a far cry from his two-season pace of one point per game. But with yet another hand injury, one wonders what impact that will have on his output. Pearson has not completed a full season since ending the 2019–20 COVID–shortened campaign with a career-high 21 goals.
With an AAV of $3.25 million, Pearson signed a three-year contract with the Canucks, which is currently in its final year.
This is Heineman’s first full season in the United States. He has experienced some injury issues though, even with the Rocket. After colliding with a referee in mid-October, the former Leksands product was sidelined for nearly two months. But in his last four games with Laval, he scored three points, earning his first NHL call-up.
With 27 points, the Canadiens are currently four points behind the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and sixth in the Atlantic Division.
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