Joe Veleno

The Canadiens' Alexandre Texier sits out Tuesday with his nagging lower-body injury, marking another game lost in what feels like a revolving door of absences for Montreal's depth chart. Joe Veleno steps in to fill the void, but whispers from the front office hint at Laval recalls if this drags on through the stretch run. With Texier's speed and middle-six grit crucial to their push, every missed shift raises the stakes on how Kent Hughes manages this thin forward group.

The Canadiens keep Alexandre Texier on the shelf Tuesday, nursing what sources whisper is a nagging lower-body tweak that's testing Montreal's depth chart early. Martin St. Louis scratches his head over lineup juggling with Veleno stepping up, but whispers from the trainer's room hint this could linger into the week. With the Habs pushing for every point in the standings, his absence spotlights how thin that forward group runs when injuries strike.

Josh Anderson sits out practice after tweaking something in yesterday's game, leaving the Canadiens to ponder their lineup options ahead of a busy stretch. With extra bodies like Joe Veleno lurking in the wings, Montreal coaches keep it vague on rest versus real concern, but this power forward's physical style means these nagging issues pop up more than fans like. His status shapes their push through back-to-backs against Vancouver and Washington, where every forward counts in the grind.