Canadiens place Brendan Gallagher on long-term injured reserve

The Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Brendan Gallagher on long-term injured reserve and the winger is expected to miss at least six weeks.

Gallagher suffered a fractured thumb in Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers when he was hit by an Alexander Romanov slapshot. The 28-year-old has 14 goals and nine assists in 34 games this season.

By moving Gallagher to long-term injured reserve, the Canadiens now have the flexibility to add ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline without having to shed salary.