Montreal Canadiens centre Tomas Plekanec will be placed on injured reserve Friday with a lower-back injury. 

Canadiens head coach Claude Julien said the veteran, who just played in career game No. 1,001 on Wednesday, could miss multiple weeks.

The 35-year-old opened the season as a healthy scratch and posted one goal over the team's past three games upon re-entering the lineup.

With Plekaec on the injured reserved, the team will use his roster spot to activate Nicolas Deslauriers. Deslauriers has yet to play this season due to a facial fracture sustained last month.

Julien said Deslauriers has been given the green light to play by team doctors, but the head coach was undecided on having him dress Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.

Deslauriers, 27, scored 10 goals and posted 14 points in 58 games last season.