Canadiens’ Kirby Dach out with lower-body injury

Montreal Canadiens center Kirby Dach will be sidelined for the immediate future due to a lower-body injury, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis confirmed Tuesday.

Through 57 appearances with the Canadiens this season, Dach has registered 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points alongside 40 penalty minutes and a minus-29 rating. Meanwhile, Tuesday’s injury update marks the latest ailment that Dach has dealt with in his young career. A year ago, Dach was limited to just two games after suffering ACL and MCL tears.

Originally chosen third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2019 NHL Draft, Dach has totaled 269 career contests between the Blackhawks and Canadiens in which he has collected 43 goals and 78 assists for 121 points.

In the 2022 offseason, Montreal acquired Dach from the Blackhawks as part of a three-team trading involving the New York Islanders that saw the Canadiens part with defenseman Alexander Romanov plus third- and fourth-round draft selections. In his first season with the Canadiens in 2022-23, the 24-year-old native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., finished with a career-high 38 points counting 14 goals and 24 assists coming in 58 games.

In Dach’s absence, the Canadiens have recalled center Owen Beck from the AHL affiliated Laval Rocket. Through 47 games with the minor-league squad this season, Beck has tallied 13 goals and 19 assists to sit second in team scoring with 32 points. The 20-year-old product of Peterborough, Ont., has also seen six showings with the Canadiens this season in which he was held scoreless and finished with a minus-two mark. Beck was originally chosen 33rd overall by the Canadiens in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Entering Tuesday’s contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Canadiens sit 26-26-5 on the season and five points back of the Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators for the second wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2021.