The Montreal Canadiens had some bad news on the injury front on Saturday.
The team announced that popular rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder next week, while forward Kirby Dach is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
Xhekaj, 22, hasn't played since Feb. 12 against the Edmonton Oilers. He exited the contest after a fight with Oilers blue-liner Vincent Desharnais.
Affectionately nicknamed "Wifi," the undrafted 6-foot-4 rearguard quickly endeared himself to Habs fans because of his penchant for dropping the gloves. Xhekaj put up five goals, 13 points, and 159 hits in 51 games while seeing just over 15 minutes of ice time per night.
Dach, meanwhile, was held out of the Canadiens' 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes because of an illness. However, further testing revealed that his illness-like symptoms were actually related to a lower-body injury.
The 22-year-old has impressed during his first season in Montreal, setting new career highs with 12 goals and 35 points in 54 contests. The Canadiens acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in July for a first- and third-round pick in 2022.
Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of a shoulder injury in January. Juraj Slafkovsky, the 2022 first-overall pick, hasn't played since Jan. 15 due to a lower-body injury.
The struggling Habs sit in the basement of the Atlantic Division with a 25-30-4 record.
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