The Canadiens’ home opener arrives with a notable absence. Ivan Demidov will not be in the lineup tonight at the Bell Centre, after Montreal confirmed he is dealing with a lower-body injury that will keep him out for two to four weeks.
“Forward Ivan Demidov (lower body) will be out for two to four weeks.”
The news ends the speculation that had been building around the young Russian forward, who had already missed recent practices. Questions only grew when his private autograph-signing sessions in Toronto and Mascouche were suddenly cancelled, but the team’s update makes the situation clear: this is an injury, not a precautionary rest day.
For the Canadiens, the timing is brutal. Demidov was set to be one of the most closely watched players on a night built around the energy of Montreal’s first home game of the season. Instead, fans who were hoping to see him skate out under the Bell Centre lights will have to wait.
Martin St-Louis now has to sort out his forward group without one of the team’s most gifted young pieces. That means a lineup shakeup before a game that already carried plenty of attention.
Still, the team’s decision suggests a cautious approach with a player they clearly don’t want to rush. A two-to-four-week timeline is a setback, but it also avoids the risk of turning a short-term issue into something far more serious. Montreal will monitor his recovery closely before he’s cleared to return.
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Canadiens Suddenly Have A New Lineup Concern Beyond Demidov
The Canadiens lineup picture has taken on a little more haze heading into a busy stretch against the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings. Demidov is already out with an injury, and Oliver Kapanen has also been missing from several practices, leaving head coach Martin St-Louis with more uncertainty than he likely wanted at this point in the schedule.
Kapanens absence has added another layer of intrigue because the Canadiens have not offered much to explain it, and the timing matters with games coming up quickly. St-Louis now has to keep sorting out combinations and depth options while trying to cover for Demidovs absence, and the clubs next few days may say a lot about how flexible the roster really is. [Read more 🡒]
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The appeal is obvious: Slafkovskys size, puck protection and improving play can help drive a line that already has skill to burn, while the alternative is sending him back down to a second unit where he might carry more of the puck and the playmaking load. Montreal now has a decision to make about whether the experiment is a short-term fix or something worth keeping in place once the roster is back closer to full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Goalie Decision They Didn't Expect
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Jacob Fowler is the name that naturally enters the conversation if Montreal needs help from Laval, where the young netminder has already made a strong impression in limited looks at both the NHL and AHL levels. If Montembeault is sidelined, the Canadiens could be looking at more than a short-term patch, with a possible extended evaluation in the crease depending on how Dobe holds up in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]