Canadiens’ Greg Pateryn out 8 weeks with fractured ankle

Jaden Schwartz scores in overtime past Al Montoya to get the Blues a 3-2 win over the Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Greg Pateryn is expected to be out eight weeks after suffering a fractured ankle on Dec. 6 against the St. Louis Blues.

The 26-year-old, who suffered the injury after being hit by a shot, had emerged as a reliable defender for the Canadiens this season, averaging just under 14 minutes per game with five points (one goal, four assists) in 19 games.

This adds to Montreal’s injury woes, as on Wednesday it was announced that centre’s Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais would miss the next six-to-eight weeks with knee injuries.

Defencemen Zach Redmond will take Pateryn’s place in the lineup, as he was activated off injured reserve on Thursday after missing the first 26 games of the season with a broken foot.

Nathan Beaulieu will also return to the team’s blue line on Thursday after taking a puck to the throat back on Nov. 22 against the New Jersey Devils, which caused him to miss the last six games.

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.