Martin St-Louis confirmed Florian Xhekaj won't play against the Red Wings tonight, with Kaiden Guhle returning and the Canadiens going with 11 forwards and seven defencemen.
"It's treatments," St-Louis said after the optional morning skate, which the younger Xhekaj skipped.
That's two straight optional skates he's missed. It's fair to wonder whether he's nursing something from Thursday's game against Nashville.
On his last shift that night, Xhekaj went to hit Nicolas Hague near the Montreal bench. Hague dodged the contact, and the rookie crashed into the boards.
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TVA Sports' Jonathan Bernier noted that his ribs or hips seemed to take the impact. Nothing has been confirmed beyond the coach's brief comment.
The 22-year-old has no points and a -4 in two games. He carries a $941,666 cap hit.
Kaiden Guhle's return reshapes the Canadiens lineup against Detroit
Guhle's return gives St-Louis an extra defenceman and a chance to shake up a group that has struggled. Montreal is 1-2-1 after a 5-2 loss to the Predators.
Going 11 and 7 also lets the coach spread minutes up front. It's a structure he can adjust on the fly if the game calls for it.
Samuel Montembeault's awkward injury against Nashville adds to the list of question marks. The Canadiens badly need a strong night.
Sitting the rookie is the smart call. A player whose game depends on contact needs his body right, and pushing through rib or hip soreness would only make it worse.
That missed hit was like sprinting at a door just as someone opens it from the other side. The wall is the only thing left to stop you.
His brother Arber remains on the blue line, so the Xhekaj name will still be in the lineup tonight. Florian will be watching from the press box.
"Treatments" can mean a lot of things. A quick return would make this a bump, while anything longer leaves Montreal with one more injury to manage.
Did Martin St-Louis make the right call sitting Florian Xhekaj?
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