The Andrei Markov watch has been prolonged until at least December, as Montreal Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin told reporters on Friday that the injured defenceman will not be back in the lineup before their California road trip at the end of the month.
Markov was back skating with his teammates this week wearing a non-contact jersey.
He has not played since he tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments nearly a year ago in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He had played only seven games since returning from similar surgery on the same knee.
The Canadiens gave Markov a three-year contract worth $5.75 million a season last June. However, an apparent setback in rehab delayed his return.
The club also said Friday that veteran blueline Hal Gill will not be in the lineup on Saturday against the New York Rangers as he was hospitalized on Thursday for an infected cut.
With Markov, Gill, Chris Campoli and Jaroslav Spacek out of the lineup, the team called up defenceman Frederic St-Denis from AHL Hamilton to join Josh Gorges, P.K. Subban, Raphael Diaz, Alexei Emelin and Yannick Weber on the blue line.
