The Montreal Canadiens disclosed on Friday that the club has recalled forward Joshua Roy from the AHL’s Laval Rocket to join the team on Saturday due to a lower-body injury to Canadiens forward Josh Anderson.
Roy, the high-scoring forward for the Rocket, suited up for two preseason games for the Canadiens but will make his long-awaited NHL debut on Saturday on Montreal’s third line against the Edmonton Oilers.
Initially drafted by the Habs in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL entry-level draft, the 20-year-old has had a tremendous start to his rookie season with the Rocket recording 12 goals and 30 points in 34 games and was named rookie of the month for October 2023.
However, for Anderson, the forward is considered day-to-day as he recovers from what the organization has disclosed as a lower-body injury on Saturday.
The Canadiens forward last played on Thursday in the Canadiens 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, scoring a goal and recording 17:48 of ice time; however, no injury was indicated during the game.
Anderson has recorded seven goals and 12 points throughout 41 games this season. However, the forward is projected to score 14 goals and 24 points if he were to play the full 82 games, which means he could be on pace for his lowest point total since the 2016-17 campaign with the
Columbus Blue Jackets, where he recorded 17 goals and 29 points across 78 games.
The Canadiens have a record of 17-18-6 throughout 41 games and sit sixth in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division.
Their opponents, the Oilers, are searching for their 10th straight win tonight. Edmonton is 22-15-1 with 45 points and are fourth in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division.
Defenceman David Jircek healthy scratch for Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Saturday that defenceman David Jiricek will be a healthy scratch as the team suits up to take on the Seattle Kraken at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.
Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent acknowledged the decision to media saying, “It’s just little things. Nothing major, but just little things here and there. We wanted to give him a good day of practice today,” Vincent said.
“We’re working on some technical parts of his skating, his mechanics of skating. Just for some of those young guys once in a while o take a deep breath and reevaluate [their] position, having some meetings with the coaches and having a good understanding of where he’s at. It’s not a bad thing. So that’s what we’re doing right now.”
The young Blue Jackets defenceman has one goal and nine points across 36 games. He averages 14:47 of ice time per night and ranks fifth amongst Blue Jackets blueliners in points.
However, last season, Jiricek domineered the American Hockey League with the Cleveland Monsters, scoring six goals and 38 points in 55 games in his rookie season. He slotted into four NHL games with the Blue Jackets in 2022-23 as a result of various injuries on Columbus’ blue line.
With the absence of Jiricek, Andrew Peeke will suit up against the Kraken on Saturday. The defenceman has four points in 13 games so far this season.
The Blue Jackets are currently eighth in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 13-20-9. After facing the Kraken on Saturday, they will take on the Vancouver Canucks Monday.
More must-reads: