The Montreal Canadiens have been hit hard by the injury bug in 2026-27, with Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov and Samuel Montembeault among those missing time.

Defenseman Mike Matheson joined that list Saturday, with the Habs announcing that the Pointe-Claire, Quebec native would miss the next two weeks with a lower-body injury. It's the second lower-body ailment for Matheson in the span of a month.

The 32-year-old has led Montreal in ice time every year since he was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022. He's managed four points in eight games this season while seeing a shade under 24 minutes of ice time per night.

Young defenseman Adam Engstrom will get an opportunity on the third pairing against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, and could see an extended run in Matheson's absence.

In more positive news, Montembeault has been upgraded to day-to-day as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury. He was originally projected to miss 10-14 days after getting hurt in practice, but he still hasn't appeared in a game this season.

With the way Jacob Fowler is playing, it's likely the Canadiens will run with a three-goalie rotation once Montembeault is ready to return. Fowler, who has allowed just two total goals in his last three starts, will be between the pipes Saturday night.

Suzuki was also a full participant in Montreal's morning skate, an encouraging step in his recovery from a hand injury. Although he won't play against the Penguins, he could be an option as soon as Tuesday night against the visiting Winnipeg Jets.

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Finally, Demidov remains on schedule and has shed the walking boot he's been in over the last couple of weeks. The team says he's “still on his timeline.” His initial recovery timeline was up to four weeks, with that mark arriving Tuesday.

Despite the plethora of injuries, the Canadiens have been excellent over the last two weeks, winning four consecutive games and five of six dating back to Oct. 17.

Montreal is now 8-3-2 and in second place in the Atlantic Division. They'll look to make it five straight against Sidney Crosby and his Pens at the Bell Centre, with puck drop set for just past 7 p.m. ET.