The Montreal Canadiens sustained a tough break on Saturday night. The Habs lost defenseman Noah Dobson to what the team is calling an upper-body injury during the second period of their contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Midway through the second, Dobson blocked a shot, with the puck seemingly hitting him in the hand. He left the ice and did not return for the third period of the Canadiens 5-2 loss.
The team didn’t elaborate on the nature of the injury on Sunday morning. The club only announced that Dobson would miss the beginning of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs and would be reevaluated in two weeks.
However, one medical expert believes there might be something more serious at play. Renowned physician Dr. Harjas Grewal weighed in on the matter. While shutting down Dobson could just be a precautionary measure by the Canadiens, the move could signal a potentially severe outcome.
Should Dobson need surgery, it would likely end his season. However, the hope is that some rest would help the ailment ease and allow Dobson to return to the lineup.
The Canadiens are currently second in the Atlantic Division after defeating the New York Islanders 4-1 on Sunday night. As it stands, the Habs would face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs.
Canadiens Call Up Top Defensive Prospect
The loss of Dobson allowed the Canadiens to call up top defensive prospect David Reinbacher from the AHL Laval Rocket.
The fifth-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft made his NHL debut on Sunday night. The rookie skated for 11:17, picking up his first point. The 21-year-old assisted on Alex Newhook’s 13th goal of the season.
The goal came at the 16:51 mark of the second and put the Canadiens up 3-0 at the time. It will be interesting to see if Reinbacher sticks with the Habs for the playoffs. Alternatively, he can return to Laval for the AHL postseason.
What to read next: Canadiens Rumors: Habs Could Get Star Prospect Signed Soon
Habs Also Down Another Blueliner
Unfortunately for the Canadiens, Dobson is just the latest blueliner to go down. The team lost Alexandre Carrier earlier this month. The prognosis for the 29-year-old is two to four weeks. If that’s the case, Carrier could return in time for the playoffs.
The Habs will need Carrier, as the third pairing of Reinbacher and Arber Xhekaj may not be the most reliable moving forward. The Canadiens could also call upon Adam Engstrom, the 22-year-old, who has been up and down between the NHL and AHL. He’s played in 14 games this season, scoring just one point.
As such, the outlook doesn’t seem to be encouraging, should the Habs head into the postseason down Carrier and Dobson. Hopefully, the club will get both injured blueliners early in the playoffs.
The prospect of playing the Lightning will demand having as healthy a lineup as possible. Still, the good thing about having Xhekaj in the lineup is that he can provide plenty of punch against the pugnacious Tampa Bay lineup.
Montreal has one game remaining on its regular-season schedule after Sunday’s showdown.
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