Canadiens St-Louis Discusses Frustrating Stream Of Injuries

The Montreal Canadiens announced two players had succumbed to injury ahead of Thursday night’s matchup with the New York Rangers.

Rookie defenceman Jordan Harris and veteran forward Christian Dvorak were added to the long list of names at the infirmary. They’re set to be replaced by Kaiden Guhle and Anthony Richard, who was recalled from the Laval Rocket for the second time this season.

As head coach Martin St-Louis met with the media following practice, he was asked whether he felt his lineup was starting to become thin.

“Is it starting?!?!” he interrupted with a wry smile. “It started a long time ago”

As it stands, the Canadiens currently have 14 players out of commission, most of which have been on the mend for several weeks already.

Dvorak and Harris join Chris Wideman, Justin Barron, Joel Armia, Kirby Dach, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, Arber Xhekaj, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Sean Monahan, Carey Price and Paul Byron on the injured list.

If the Montreal Canadiens stopped playing hockey today it would take the New York Rangers 818 more games to catch them in injuries https://t.co/3CPAdBy7Is pic.twitter.com/CoFN6YlHFn

— Man-Games Lost NHL (@ManGamesLostNHL) February 24, 2023

It would be a difficult situation for any coach, not to mention a coach who is learning on the job and only has a sparse amount of talent to work with.

“I’m gaining a lot of experience,” said St-Louis. “You play the hand you’re dealt. Sometimes cards come and cards go. My job is to prepare the team to play every game and control what I can. I’m starting to get used to it.”

Part of the learning process for St-Louis has centred on protecting players who are driven by good intentions but come to unfortunate decisions regarding their own health.

Guhle, for example, did not want to abandon his team when he was injured during the March 3rd matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

It should come as no surprise, Guhle will do everything possible to win, and part of that is providing support for his linemates on the ice, but there’s also something to be said about the value of rest.

“Sometimes it’s important to protect the player from the player,” said St-Louis. “There are players who can’t stand missing a shift, and sometimes you have to protect them from themselves because it leads to further injuries.”

It’s a fine balance.

Complete nightmare season of injuries continues…

Looks like Kaiden Guhle just seriously hurt his shoulder. pic.twitter.com/s3NCBDEozS

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 4, 2023

Athletes, by nature, will almost always forgo their health for an opportunity to take part in the only thing they’ve known since their childhood: high-level competition.

It’s almost an addiction for some, one that comes to the forefront whenever a player is held out of action for an extended period of time, which has been the case for several injured Canadiens players.

“It’s more important for the injured players than for the team,” explained St-Louis. “It’s difficult to be injured, and it’s tough on mental health to not be included. They need to be part of the team as they’re passing through a difficult stretch. Being left aside is not easy on the mind.”

As the St-Louis and the Canadiens continue to deal with the unfortunate hand they’ve been dealt by the injury gods, it’s become apparent that no level of preparation can turn the remaining players into a competitive lineup.

It’s simply not feasible.

Nor is judging St-Louis’ coaching prowess this season.

He simply has not had an opportunity to coach anything remotely close to a healthy roster.