Habs player diagnosed with concussion after collision on the boards

Gleb Pugachyov is opening up about the concussion that delayed his MHL debut with the Canadiens organization.

On Wednesday, the Canadiens prospect detailed an offseason grind that packed 33 pounds onto his frame in a single year.

The goal was simple. Pugachyov wants a permanent roster spot with Torpedo, and he rebuilt his body chasing it.

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Then the setback hit. A concussion pushed his MHL debut back before he ever got the chance to prove the work paid off.

He got hurt on a play last week, driving hard into the attack before getting pushed from behind and crashing into the boards.

"I was running into the attack, it turned into a bad play," Pugachyov said. "I don't know if it was dirty or not, but there was a penalty. I got injured, now I'm recovering."

No word yet on a return timeline, and Pugachyov didn't offer specifics beyond saying he's on the mend.

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Pugachyov sees the Canadiens rebuild taking shape from afar

Rebuilding a body in a year while your brain is still healing is like renovating a house in the middle of a storm. Nothing sits still long enough to finish.

Pugachyov also touched on what he's watching from Montreal, even while grinding through his own recovery and roster fight overseas.

The Canadiens closed last season at 48-24-10, good for 106 points and sixth overall in the league standings.

Montreal also went 7-3-0 over its final 10 games, the kind of finish a rebuilding roster wants to carry into the summer.

So what does patience actually look like for a franchise this deep into a turnaround, and for a prospect still this far from the NHL?

Adding 33 pounds and pushing through a head injury in the same year is a heavy load for a teenager. Rushing him back now would be a bad idea.

Pugachyov isn't on Montreal's NHL roster and won't be for a while. But every prospect who bulks up and fights through a setback adds another data point to how this rebuild eventually looks.

He's recovering, he's heavier, and he's still chasing a roster spot that isn't guaranteed. The rest of that story hasn't been written yet.

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