The Montreal Canadiens had more bad news to report on Wednesday, which suggests forward Christian Dvorak will be sidelined for the rest of the season with surgery.
The 27-year-old went under the knife at a New York hospital today to repair a knee problem. The former Arizona Coyotes have not contested a match against the Carolina Hurricanes since March 7, which CH lost 4-3 in overtime.
The American was on the way to setting a personal highlight this season. In 64 games, he had 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points, the fifth-highest tally for the Habs. His best total of 37 points came in his second season in the National League.
Dvorak’s stay in Quebec has been marked by physical disorders. When he debuted in Montreal last year, he only played 56 games and still amassed 33 points. He had been acquired in September 2021 in exchange for first- and second-round draft picks.
The center player is in the fourth season of his six-year contract, which pays him $4.45 million annually. In his career, he collected 207 points in 422 games.
In addition to Dvorak, head coach Martin St-Louis has to cope with the absences of forwards Kirby Dach, Brendan Gallagher, Cole Caufield, Jake Evans, Juraj Slafkovsky and Sean Monahan on the sidelines, among others.