Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais met with the team's medical staff on Wednesday in Montreal.
For both players, team doctors confirmed a knee injury, and the recovery is expected to be
6 to 8 weeks for each.
The good news is that neither player will require surgery.
The top fifty percent of Montreal's centers will be lost for the next two months, or less.
Galchenyuk is the team's leadig scorer with 23 points in 25 games. Galchenyuk absorbed a knee on knee hit from LA KIngs center Anze Kopitar on Sunday.
Desharnais registered two assists against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, before being forced to leave Tuesday's game early in St. Louis after suffering a knee injury.
With Galchenyuk and Desharnais shalved long term, Michel Therrien will have to make due with 34 year old Tomas Plekanec as his number one center and Andrew Shaw or Torrey Mitchell as his number two pivot. Their best center prospect is Michael McCarron who is playing well in the AHL right now.
The Habs are in first place overall in the Eastern Conference with 37 points and lead the Ottawa Senators by 5 points in the Atlantic Division standings.
The Habs were said to be interested in Arizona center Martin Hanzal as well as Mikael Granlund from Minnesota.
Combined, Galchenyuk and Desharnais represent a $6.3 million salary cap hit this season.
Montreal currentky has $1.7 million in available salary cap space, however, they will be getting cap relief from the Galchenyuk and Desharnais contracts while the two centers are on the long term injury list.
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The Montreal Canadiens have sent their Director Pro Scouting to Buffalo twice in the past four days.
Before Galchenyuk was injured, the Habs were in the market for a number two centerman. Now that Galchenyuk and Desharnais are going to be out long term, Marc Bergevin needs a number one and a number two center.
Remember the Max Pacioretty trade denials from last weekend?
Rick Dudley worked with the Atlanta Thrashers from 2009 to 2011, beginning as AGM before being promoted to GM.
Kane was drafted 4th overall by Dudley and the Thrashers in 2009.
Kane is a $5.25 million AAV this and next season.
Kane's name will continue to percolate in the rumor mill.
The Kane to Vancouver chatter ended two weeks ago. Kane is playing well since returning from his cracked rib injury. Kane has been outstanding riding shotgun for Jack Eichel and Samson Reinhart for the past three game. Kane scored his first goal of the season on Saturday afternoon. He now has 5 points in 13 games played. Kane missed 11 games with cracked ribs.
Pacioretty has scored 5 goals and 10 assists in 24 games this season.
Would Tim Murray trade a 30 goal scorer for another 30 goal scorer?
Murray has said any trade he executes would have to be dollars in, dollars out.
Pacioretty and Kane are left wingers.
Might the Habs be doing their diligence on versatile forward Evander Kane?
Kane has played center during his NHL career and juniors career with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.
Kane has goals in his past two games and appears to be fully recovered from his cracked ribs that sidelined him for eleven games in October and November.
Kane had a three game point streak (1G, 2A) snapped in Washington on Monday night. However, he scored two goals in Buffalo's dramatic 4-3 OT win over Edmonton on Tuesday night.
Murray also can use center/winger Zemgus Girgensons as trade currency.
Girgensons, the former 14th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft has been playing the wing since Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Eichel have returned to the lineup from injuries. Johan Larsson is entrenched at L3 pivot and Derek Grant is the L4 center.
Girgensons is a natural centerman who has struggled to grasp the nuances and expectations of Dan Bylsma's structrured system.
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