The Montreal Canadiens have suffered another injury blow on the blueline.
Chris Campoli is expected to be out for months, Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin said on Saturday, as the defenceman’s injury is much more severe than the team originally anticipated.
Campoli left with a lower-body injury during the second period of Montreal’s 2-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, the opening game of the season. He was seen on crutches after the game.
The Habs, currently without veteran Andrei Markov (knee) to start the season, had signed Campoli to a one-year contract on Sept. 26.
Campoli split last season between Ottawa and Chicago, but failed to reach a new deal with the Blackhawks. He had four goals and 17 assists in 77 games.
The Toronto native has 33 goals and 102 assists in 397 career NHL games.
Canadiens forwards Blair Betts (lower body) and Lars Eller (shoulder) have also been sidelined by injury.
In other Montreal news, the Canadiens assigned defenceman Joe Callahan to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League.
The 28-year-old Callahan, who signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Habs on Friday, played in 27 games with the Florida Panthers in 2010-2011 registering one assist and 12 penalty minutes.
