It appears captain Max Pacioretty and Victor Mete have played their last games of the season for the Montreal Canadiens.
Pacioretty will be out four to six weeks due to a knee injury sustained Friday during a game against the New York Islanders. On that timeline, Pacioretty could be ready in early April, when there would be at most three or four games left on the schedule.
Mete suffered a broken finger in Friday’s game and is expected to miss six weeks. With the regular season ending on April 7 with a game in Toronto, Montreal would have to qualify for the playoffs for Mete to be back in uniform. The Canadiens currently sit in twenty-sixth place in the NHL standings and are more likely to be eligible for a lottery draft pick than a playoff berth.
While the 19-year-old Mete was having a breakout year in his rookie NHL season, it’s been a tough campaign for Pacioretty. Normally counted on for at least 30 goals, Pacioretty has posted just 17 goals and 20 assists in 64 games this year.