Unfortunately, news has hit the Montreal Canadiens as Christian Dvorak will miss the remainder of the season with an injury. The Habs 27-year-old centre has a torn pectoral muscle and will require surgery. Furthermore, the announcement said that he is scheduled to have surgery on the injury tomorrow.
The #habs announce that Christian Dvorak is done for the season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle. He's due to have surgery tomorrow.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 4, 2024
The Montreal Canadiens Centre Christian Dvorak Out With a Pectoral Injury
Dvorak is off to a slightly below-average start in this, his third season with the Montreal Canadiens. In his first year with the club, he was just over a point every two games, with 33 in 56. Last year he dipped to just under that mark, with 28 in 64. However, in 2023-24, he had just seven points through 25 games. Well below his recent and career pace. In his eight years in the NHL, he has a career PPG of 0.48. His ice time is down this year, which is a reason why his production has dipped. In 2021-22 with the Habs, he was at 17:22 TOI, this year is he under 16 minutes a night. He does however do well in the faceoff dot, with an impressive 59.9% win percentage this year. Perhaps this injury has been nagging, and now he can get the rest he needs to come back at 100%.
What This Means for the Canadiens
Montreal has been a surprise this year and is hovering around the .500 mark. If they go on a run, they could push for a wild card position. This is despite being dismantled by injuries thus far. Currently, names like Tanner Pearson, Alex Newhook, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard find themselves on the IR. Losing Dvorak, and some of the intangibles he brings, will hurt if games get tough. On the flip side of the coin, with Dvorak having a down year, it will provide an opportunity for a young player to gobble up ice time. Michael Pezzetta is the centre who fits that description, with only six points through 26 games played. Moreover, a player like Jake Evans will see added responsibility. Given Montreal’s lack of desire to be buyers at the deadline, look for Dvorak’s replacement to come from within. These two are excellent candidates for the role.
Main poto: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
