During Saturday night's game against the St. Louis Blues, forward Christian Dvorak made his return to the lineup after missing the first ten regular-season games due to a right knee injury sustained last year.
Many were eagerly anticipating his return, especially since the 27-year-old center had been practicing with the team for several weeks. However, because he was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) at the beginning of the season, he was required to wait until November 4 before being eligible to rejoin Martin St-Louis's lineup.
Just before playing his first game of the season, Christian Dvorak confirmed a rumor that had been circulating about him. Indeed, he told reporters at his press conference that he had been 100% for several days but had to wait until November 4.
It's clear that Dvorak could have greatly helped the Canadiens if he hadn't been placed on LTIR, especially as the Montreal offense is currently dealing with the absence of key players like Kirby Dach and Rafael Harvey-Pinard.
However, this strategy by Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes allowed for Carey Price to be placed on season-long LTIR, thus providing much more cap space ahead of the trade deadline.
Furthermore, we've seen several players return too quickly in the last two years, leading to complications in their rehabilitation process. It is great news to know that the CH did not want to make the same mistake with Dvorak, allowing him to fully recover from his injury.
