Ivan Demidov’s path back to the Canadiens is still cloudy, and the latest sighting at the Bell Centre did little to change that.
Stu Cowan reported that Demidov is still wearing a walking boot on his right foot, which makes a return to Montreal on Friday look unlikely. After the game, the young forward was seen talking with Andrei Markov, who was at the Bell Centre and stopped to greet him. But the boot drew just as much attention as the interaction.
For now, that’s the clearest sign to watch: as long as Demidov is wearing the boot, he won’t be cleared to play. Once it comes off, there’s reason to think his return could come soon after.
The Canadiens first announced on October 6 that Demidov would be out two to four weeks. That window points to a possible return between October 20 and November 3, which means the recovery timeline has only just started to open up. So while fans are eager to see him back, there’s still no real basis to say he’s behind schedule.
Maxime Truman had previously said Demidov was recovering quickly, but there remains no confirmed date for his return.
The 20-year-old has two points in two games this season and is still on the injured list. Montreal, meanwhile, sits at 4-3-2 and is giving up 3.8 goals per game after recently coughing up a two-goal lead against San Jose.
That’s why Demidov’s absence matters. He’s the kind of forward who can tilt the power play and reshape the second line, and getting him healthy again could make a real difference for the group.
The timing is tricky, too, because the Canadiens are just starting a four-game road trip. It begins Friday in Chicago, continues Sunday in Winnipeg for the Heritage Classic, and then carries on to St. Louis and Dallas next week.
Whether Demidov joins that trip is still up in the air.
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For the Canadiens, the next few weeks now become a test of depth and adaptability. Montreal has already moved to bring up Owen Beck from AHL Laval, a sign that the club is preparing to reshuffle responsibilities quickly while Suzuki recovers. However the lines are arranged, the larger challenge is obvious: replacing a captain who touches so many parts of the game is never as simple as plugging in one player and moving on. [Read more 🡒]