Habs' Plekanec out several weeks with lower-back injury

Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec is dealing with a lower-back injury and could be out for several weeks, head coach Claude Julien announced Friday, per the team.

The 35-year-old will be placed on injured reserve, creating a roster spot for Nicolas Deslauriers, who's been cleared to play after suffering a facial fracture in the preseason, per TSN.

After being shipped to the Toronto Maple Leafs at last season's trade deadline, Plekanec returned to the Canadiens on a one-year deal over the summer. He recently celebrated his 1,000th career game, but was a healthy scratch for the season's first three contests.

He's scored one goal in three games while logging just under 11 minutes of ice time per game.