The Montreal Canadiens are going to be without a couple of key contributors for the foreseeable future as the team announced on Tuesday that Brendan Gallagher had undergone surgery and would be out approximately six weeks, possibly longer, and that Torrey Mitchell was likely to miss the next seven to 10 days with a "lower-body injury."
"Every time you lose a player that has an important role on any team, it's always a huge loss," Habs coach Michel Therrien said Monday, according to Arpon Basu of NHL.com. "He was playing his best hockey, obviously. He's progressing every year, he's still a young player. It's a big loss, but what are we going to do? We can't feel sorry for ourselves. That's the way it is."
Gallagher, injured blocking a shot from Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk, remains third on the team in points with 19, playing alongside Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty on the Canadiens' electrifying top line. In his absence, Bud Holloway was recalled from the AHL.
Teammates saw Gallagher's injury as a product of his on-ice persona and team-first attitude.
"The way he got hurt is just typical of his character and the way he plays the game. He took a bomb off Boychuk's stick, which is one of the hardest shots in the league," Pacioretty told the team website. "And he stayed out there, which says a lot about his character. Obviously we don't want him to miss any time because he is such a valuable piece of this team."
Unfortunately, the Habs will now be without Gallagher's services for the next six weeks and quite possibly longer. Gallagher is an important piece, but he's not goaltender Carey Price, last year's Hart and Vezina trophy-winner. The Habs managed to weather the storm of Price's absence, so it's likely they'll find a way to keep winning without Gallagher in the lineup.
As for Torrey Mitchell, the natural center was moved up to Montreal's second-line right wing recently, but it seems his promotion won't last long. He's on the shelf for the next seven to ten days.
With the injuries to the front piling up and Habs GM Marc Bergevin already said to be hot on the trail of a trade upgrade or three, it may not be long before there are a few new names hitting the ice in a Canadiens uniform.
