LOS ANGELES – When Marc Bergevin first explained his decision not to bring back Andrei Markov at the Canadiens annual golf tournament, he said the void left behind would be filled by committee.



But that committee was to be led by two names Bergevin mentioned specifically in explaining his decision. Those names were David Schlemko and Mark Streit.



Just over five weeks later, Streit has been released and the Canadiens announced Wednesday that Schlemko will miss three to four weeks after he had surgery to remove a bone fragment in his right hand. He has yet to play a game. Considering Schlemko has never played more than 67 games in an NHL season, this development was foreseeable. Or at least it should have been.



Meanwhile, the Canadiens have roughly $9 million in salary cap space, the third-lowest payroll in the NHL, Jordie Benn has had a rough start and the team heads into its seventh game of the season here Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings...