The Montreal Canadiens will be without forward Kirby Dach for four to six weeks due to a fractured right foot. The injury occurred during Saturday night’s 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre. This marks the Canadiens' third consecutive defeat, dropping their record to 10-6-2 and placing them second in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Bruins.

In addition to Dach's injury, the Canadiens are facing a growing list of sidelined players. Forward Alex Newhook underwent surgery on Friday for a fractured right ankle sustained during a 7-0 loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Defenceman Kaiden Guhle also had surgery on Thursday to repair a partially torn adductor muscle and is expected to miss eight to ten weeks. Guhle has only played five games this season after being injured on October 16.

Forward Patrik Laine is another key player on the injured list. He is recovering from surgery for a core muscle injury performed on October 24. The team announced that Laine would be out for three to four months following the procedure.

The Canadiens practiced on Sunday morning in Brossard before traveling to Columbus, where they will face the Blue Jackets on Monday evening. Defenceman Jayden Struble did not participate in practice, opting for a therapy day instead.

To address the growing injury concerns, the Canadiens have recalled forward Joshua Roy from the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Roy has recorded four goals and three assists in ten games this season with the Rocket and will join the team in Columbus.

This injury marks the third consecutive season that Dach has faced a significant setback. In the 2023-24 season, he played only two games before suffering an injury that required surgery to repair torn ACL and MCL ligaments in his right knee. Last season, he played 57 games before injuring the same knee, which also required surgery. Dach has recorded five goals and two assists in 15 games this season.