Habs Report: Jeff Petry Out Indefinitely, Justin Barron In This Weekend?

The wait to see Justin Barron suit up for his first game could be over soon, as the Montreal Canadiens announced a few major updates to key players this morning.

The Canadiens announced that 34-year old defenceman Jeff Petry will be out indefinitely with an lower-body injury. Petry left the game on Thursday night against the Florida Panthers after looking to be in a world of discomfort as he walked down the tunnel to the dressing room. The loss of Petry will surely hurt the Canadiens’ defence going down the stretch, leaving David Savard as the top right-handed defenceman on the club at the moment.

Jeff Petry sera absent pour une durée indéterminée (blessure au bas du corps).

Jeff Petry is out indefinitely (lower-body injury).

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 26, 2022

Enter Justin Barron against the Devils?

Since he was acquired in the Artturi Lehkonen trade with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens fans have been waiting to see the club’s newest prospect Justin Barron in action. After wowing fans with his French on Wednesday, the hype train is on in full force as the 20-year-old waits for his turn to suit up for the Habs. With Petry now out long-term, the Canadiens are down a right-handed shot on the backend and Barron is the only other healthy right-handed defenceman in the organization at the moment.

Barron has only played two NHL games so far in his young career, and the Montreal Canadiens will do their best to not overload him in his first few starts with the team. It’ll be important to properly insulate the youngster, and a potential pairing with veteran Joel Edmundson could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Barron.

Playing him against the high-powered Toronto Maple Leafs could possibly be asking too much of the youngster right off the bat, but playing him on the second game of a back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils could be a wiser move. The Devils are close to the Canadiens in the standings and that could be a much easier way to ease the youngster into the lineup, rather than to expose him to the likes of Auston Matthews and company.

Montreal Canadiens Injury Updates

The Montreal Canadiens announced that both Brendan Gallagher and Ryan Poehling would not be accompanying the club on their upcoming road trip, a sign that they aren’t close to returning yet. This gives the Canadiens more time to evaluate players like Rem Pitlick or Laurent Dauphin in more offensive roles.

Carey Price missed practice again Saturday with a non-Covid illness that has kept him out for the past week.