Canadiens’ Jonathan Drouin sidelined at least 8 weeks after wrist surgery

The Montreal Canadiens’ playoff hopes have taken a hit with the news that forward Jonathan Drouin will miss at least eight weeks after wrist surgery.

The Montreal Canadiens will be without forward Jonathan Drouin for a minimum of eight weeks, the team reported on Tuesday, after undergoing successful surgery on his wrist. The Canadiens will also be without forward Paul Byron for the next four weeks after knee surgery to repair an injury.

Drouin’s timeline would put the forward back out on the ice for Montreal at the earliest in mid-to-late January, possibly around the NHL‘s All-Star break at the end of the month.

The wrist injury to Drouin came about during Montreal’s game against the Washington Capitals on Friday evening. Capitals’ forward Alex Ovechkin laid a big hit on Drouin in the second period, but Montreal head coach Claude Julien insisted that the injury to the forward did not occur on that play, but near the end of the third frame instead.

Drouin’s injury is quite a blow to the Canadiens’ playoff hopes. This season, Montreal has been better than anticipated as they sit at second overall in the Atlantic Division with a 11-5-4 record and 26 points. The Canadiens have been taking advantage of the inconsistencies of divisional rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning, opening an avenue for success early in the season.

A major reason for Montreal’s surge has been the play of Drouin this season. Before his injury, Drouin was in the Canadiens’ top five point scorers, with 15 points and seven goals in 19 games played. The 24-year-old forward was in the midst of a potential career year, as Drouin was on pace for 65 points this season that would have surpassed his 53 put up from a year prior.

Drouin was a fun story to follow in the Canadiens’ 2019-20 campaign, and Montreal is no doubt weaker now in the Atlantic without one of their dynamic playmaking forwards for the next few months.