Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
We have news on three Montreal Canadiens forwards, including Patrik Laine.
It’s confirmed. Tonight in Washington, the Canadiens still have to deal with three absences. Jake Evans, Kirby Dach, and Patrik Laine remain sidelined, and that changes the look of the group following Martin St-Louis on the road.
Why can we already confirm that these three players will not be returning to action tonight? Because they were just spotted in Brossard.
“Jake Evans, Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach are in Brossard this morning under the supervision of Paul Byron.
They are therefore not on the road with the Canadiens.”
– Patrick Guillet
Confirmed: no return to action for Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, and Jake Evans in Washington
In Evans’ case, the organization announced on December 27 that he would miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.
Dach also remains a clear-cut case. The Canadiens confirmed on November 16 that he would be out four to six weeks due to a fractured foot. Before being shut down, Dach had played 15 games this season, with 5 goals and 7 points, and his stat line has been frozen ever since.
As for Laine, the October 25 release mentioned an absence of three to four months following surgery for a sports hernia.
On the ice, his season ended after 5 games, with 1 point. That contrasts sharply with 2024-2025, when he recorded 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games. In his career, Laine has played 537 regular-season games, with 224 goals and 422 points, which explains why his return is generating so much discussion.
Evans, for his part, had appeared in 34 games this season, with 5 goals and 10 points, before going down with an injury.
When Evans, Dach, and Laine return, it will clearly change the picture, but for now, it won’t be tonight (despite the encouraging signs of the past few hours).
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Canadiens get key update on three injured forwards ahead of game in Washington
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