Montreal Canadiens Suffer Major Blow: Top-Pair Defensemen Injured Against LA Kings

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Julien Trekker
October 18, 2024 (12:47)

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The Montreal Canadiens suffered a major blow last night as Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson, two of their top defensemen, were injured against the Los Angeles Kings.

Martin St-Louis and his men were back at the Bell Center yesterday and suffered their third loss of the season at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings, with a 4-1 score. Unfortunately for Habs fans, the team lost more than two points, as the team's two best defensemen Michael Matheson and Kaiden Guhle were injured.

Today, the team was back on the ice for a practice session and they released an update about Matheson and Guhle's health. The Canadiens announced that Matheson is having a therapy day and Guhle has a lower-body injury, and he will be reevaluated on a day-to-day basis:

Since the season started, Guhle has taken a massive step forward and emerged as the most reliable member of the Canadiens defensive unit. Even if the spotlight is mostly on Lane Hutson for his incredible skills, no one can deny Guhle's massive impact on the team. As for Matheson, he brings the same energy he brought last season when he scored 62 points, including 11 goals while playing in all 82 games.

To fill in, the organization decided to call up their young defenseman Logan Mailloux from the Laval Rocket in the AHL:

Mailloux, 21, is currently leading the Rocket in points, with two goals and two assists in two games. Following an underwhelming training camp with the Canadiens, Mailloux joined the Rocket with a big role to fill, and with fellow prospect David Reinbacher out of the lineup for five to six months, he was expected to lead the defensive unit in Laval. However, the Canadiens' success is the most important thing, and the team needs him now even if that means placing the Rocket in a tough spot.

Unless both Matheson and Guhle end up missing games, it would be surprising to see Mailloux in action, especially with Jayden Struble healthy and ready to play, but it's always a good thing as a team to have enough insurance in case of emergency.

The Canadiens are set to play their next game tomorrow against the New York Islanders, and we should have an update to report on regarding their health, as well as Mailloux's status before the start of the game.