Montreal Canadiens defenceman David Savard is out six to eight weeks with a fracture to his left hand, the club announced Tuesday.
The veteran blueliner didn't play another shift in Monday's 3-1 road victory over the Buffalo Sabres after a long sequence on the penalty kill where he blocked multiple shots and lost a skate blade.
Savard, who turned 33 on Sunday, ranks third in ice time on the Canadiens this season with an average of 20 minutes 22 seconds.
He's registered two assists in six games so far in 2023-24.
The Canadiens are already without Kirby Dach for the rest of the schedule after the centre tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee.
Montreal recalled defenceman Gustav Lindstrom from the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket on an emergency basis with Savard, who missed 20 games each of the last two seasons, on the shelf.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2023.
The Canadian Press