The Canadiens may have to navigate their next game without Alexandre Carrier after the defenseman was forced out of Saturday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Carrier headed to Montreal’s dressing room with an injury and did not return. The team later confirmed he would not come back into the game.
The play that appeared to trigger the injury came when Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov knocked Carrier down on the forecheck, sending his neck and shoulder area hard into the boards.
It’s a frustrating turn for Montreal after Carrier had opened the season on a strong note. In the Canadiens’ 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on September 29, the 29-year-old logged almost 22 minutes, picked up a goal and an assist, and looked like a steady presence on the back end.
Carrier’s 2024-25 season was productive as well. The Quebec City native finished with seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in 73 games, while averaging just over 19 minutes per night. He added another goal and six assists for seven points in 19 playoff games, averaging a tick over 22 minutes of ice time during Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference final.
Carrier’s path to Montreal has been a winding one. Originally a fourth-round pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, he became a full-time NHL player in Nashville during the 2021-22 season and put up a career-best 30 points in 77 games that year, including three goals and 27 assists.
After more than two additional seasons with the Predators, Carrier was dealt to the Canadiens in December of 2024 for defenseman Justin Barron. He finished that 2024-25 campaign in Montreal with two goals and 16 assists for 18 points in 51 games.
Carrier is in the final year of a three-year, $11.25 million contract with the Canadiens and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Montreal’s next game is Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes in their home opener.
In Other News...
Penguins Win Exposes One Early Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Penguins got the result they wanted in their overtime win over Montreal, but it was anything but a clean night. Pittsburgh had to battle back from an early hole, leaned on Evgeni Malkin for multiple goals and still found itself staring at a game that kept slipping toward the Canadiens before the final push. Even in victory, the pace and the swings made it clear there are still parts of this roster that need tightening up.
Montreals comeback in the third period was made even more frustrating when a coachs challenge wiped away what looked like a go-ahead Penguins goal, adding another jolt to a game already full of momentum changes. The finish eventually swung Pittsburghs way, but the kind of defensive breakdowns and near-misses on display are the sort of early-season warning signs the Penguins cant afford to shrug off, especially after a night that was supposed to feel a lot more settled than it did. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Blow Big Lead Before Escaping In A Wild Opener
The season opener had all the hallmarks of a comfortable night for Pittsburgh, with Evgeni Malkin setting the tone and the Penguins building what looked like a commanding cushion against Montreal. Malkin logged a power-play goal and two assists while moving past Dale Hawerchuk into 22nd place in NHL history with 1,411 points, a milestone that underscored how much he still drives the offense even as the roster around him continues to evolve.
Instead, the game turned into a survival test, as the Canadiens kept pressing and made the Penguins sweat deep into the night. Montreal clawed all the way back to force overtime, with Cole Caufield striking twice and Ivan Demidov providing the late equalizer before Tommy Novak finally ended it for Pittsburgh in the extra period, a wild finish that left the opener feeling more like a warning than a statement. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Opener Set An Early Standard This Team Already Failed
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came out of their 2026-27 opener with a point, but not the result they wanted after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds. Atley Calvert supplied both goals for the Penguins, while Springfield goalie Georgii Romanov turned aside 43 shots to keep his club afloat long enough to get to extra time.
Springfield eventually finished it when Calle Rosn scored the winner in overtime, turning a tightly played opener into a frustrating night for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. For a team trying to set an early tone, the game showed plenty of pressure and chances, but not enough finishing to turn a strong start into two points. [Read more 🡒]