Canadiens' Guhle out 8 weeks, Gallagher to miss 2 with injuries

The Montreal Canadiens announced a pair of absences due to lower-body injuries Friday.

Defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss at least eight weeks, while veteran forward Brendan Gallagher is out two weeks.

Guhle has been a bright spot for the struggling Canadiens. The 20-year-old has tallied 14 points in 36 games to lead Montreal defensemen in scoring. His 20:46 average time on ice ranks third among rookie blue-liners.

Guhle has already missed three games, last playing against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 29. He appeared to be injured after an awkward collision with Aleksander Barkov.

Gallagher has been limited to 25 games this season due to various injury issues. The 30-year-old has tallied just four goals and nine points while playing 14:12, the fewest minutes he's played since his rookie campaign. Gallagher did not play in Thursday's loss to the New York Rangers.

The Canadiens are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and are last in the Atlantic Division. They're back in action against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.