The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Nicolas Deslauriers is sidelined indefinitely with a facial fracture.
Nicolas Deslauriers will be out indefinitely due to a facial fracture.
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Nicolas Deslauriers Injured
Deslauriers was injured in the first period of the Habs 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The 27-year-old took a few punches in the face after getting into a fight with Brandon Baddock. Deslauriers spent the night in the hospital for observation. Canadiens head coach Claude Julien informed the media that Deslauriers was taken to the hospital.
He totalled 10 goals and four assists for 14 points in 58 games for Montreal. The Lasalle, Quebec native also added 55 penalty minutes in 2017-18. His possession numbers were 46.7 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -3.3.
Delauriers has played for the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens in his five-year NHL career. He has put up 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 career points in 269 career games. The Los Angeles Kings originally drafted him in the third round, 84th overall of the 2009 NHL Draft.
What This Means for the Future
Deslauriers is fighting for a spot on the bottom-six with other forwards Matthew Peca, Charles Hudon, Michael McCarron, Nikita Scherbak and Jacob de La Rose. He made a big statement last year with 10 goals on the last two lines.
The forward showed fire last night on the forecheck and answered the bell when the Devils tried to make the game more physical. Deslauriers also did well in giving Jesperi Kotkaniemi plenty of space on the ice.
It may be hard for Deslauriers to claim one of the forward spots, but his feisty play is going to make Julien’s decision more difficult. The Canadiens will need forwards that are willing to hustle and Deslauriers is willing to do that.
MONTREAL, QC – FEBRUARY 04: Montreal Canadiens Left Wing Nicolas Deslauriers (20) tracks the puck during the Ottawa Senators versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 4, 2018, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
