Panthers GM Barry Zito did not have a definitive timetable for when Montour is expected to make his season debut but said it's safe to assume he'll be back between "November to January." Zito added that he believes Montour will be back before Aaron Ekblad, who will also miss the start of the season. Expect more detailed updates to come out during training camp.
Both Montour and Aaron Ekblad underwent offseason shoulder surgery, and GM Bill Zito said they're "on time" and are expected to be back in "a month or two." This puts both defensemen on pace to be ready close to the start of the regular season. The Panthers play just eight games in October, so even if Montour misses the start of the season, he may not miss too many games.
Montour missed the last two games but will play Friday vs. the Lightning. With Aaron Ekblad out, Montour figures to be the PP1 quarterback for the Panthers moving forward. He may also play massive minutes at 5v5 next to Gustav Forsling. He had one goal and four shots in two games to open the season.
Brandon Montour is set to miss his second game of the early season Wednesday as it was announced he will miss Florida's matchup against Philadelphia with a lower-body injury. This comes as a blow to the blueline as the Panthers just lost Aaron Ekblad for 4-6 Weeks. Montour has a goal on four shots in his first two games in his second season as a member of the Florida Panthers.
Montour is one of five Panthers that entered COVID-19 protocol this week, putting Thursday's game vs. the Kings in jeopardy.
Montour is in the final year of his contract that carries a $3.85M AAV cap-hit. Montour will help fill a void on the left-side that was created when they lost Aaron Ekblad for the season. The 27-year-old has scored five goals with nine assists, 72 shots, 53 blocks and 35 hits in 38 games with the Sabres this season.
Montour has been activated from the COVID-19 reserve list and was on the ice for the Sabres' morning skate but remains questionable to play Monday vs. the Islanders.
Montour was held out of Friday's game, likely to avoid him playing two games in two nights, but he'll make his first appearance of the season on Saturday. Montour will replace John Gilmour in the lineup and is coming off of a season where he had 10 points (3G / 7A) in 20 games with the Sabres after being traded from Anaheim.
Montour will miss his 13th straight game to open up the 2019-20 season but it looks like he is on-pace to make his season debut later this week. After tonight the Sabres are off until Friday, so monitor his status as the week moves along.
Montour is a few weeks away from any type of contact, which suggests that he won’t be back until late-October. Luckily the Sabres went out and got Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju this offseason, so their blueline should remain strong in Montour’s absence.
Montour is set to miss the rest of the preseason and could miss some regular-season time with a hand injury. Henri Jokiharju, who was acquired from the Blackhawks this offseason, is the most likely candidate to fill the hole left by Montour’s injury to start the season.
