The Montreal Canadiens are dealing with plenty of injury trouble right now. This is certainly the case at the center position, as both Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach are currently sidelined. 

With the Canadiens being bitten by the injury bug, they reportedly tried to sign a recent free agent.

According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the Canadiens were one of the teams that pursued center David Kämpf before he signed his one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks. 

"They tried on David Kämpf, but the veteran free-agent center chose Vancouver last weekend," LeBrun wrote about the Canadiens.

The Canadiens pursuing Kämpf is understandable, as it is clear that they could use more depth down the middle. However, now that he has joined the Canucks, the Canadiens will need to explore their options elsewhere.

Kämpf became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) last week after mutually terminating his previous contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was after he appeared in four games this season with their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, where he recorded one assist. He then quickly signed his new deal with the Canucks after hitting the market. 

Had the Canadiens successfully signed Kämpf, he would have had the potential to be a nice addition to their bottom six and penalty kill due to his solid defensive play. He has also had a 50.9 faceoff winning percentage or better in seven out of his previous eight NHL seasons, so he would have helped the Habs in that area. 

In 537 career NHL games, Kämpf has recorded 48 goals, 95 assists, 143 points, and 243 takeaways.