Concerns around Ivan Demidov are only getting louder, and the biggest reason is simple: the Canadiens still haven’t given a clear answer on when he’ll be back.
Demidov remains on injured reserve with an ankle injury, and there is still no timetable for his return. That uncertainty has opened the door to surgery speculation, with Jordan Decker saying he believes Montreal could soon announce that the ankle is not healing as expected and that surgery is needed. Nothing has been confirmed, though, and Decker framed it as something he would not be surprised to see rather than a report of something already decided.
The situation took another turn after Demidov skated in Brossard on November 7 with Samuel Montembeault and Mike Matheson. That was an encouraging sight at the time, but it didn’t come with any guarantee that a return was around the corner.
Now, the added detail that Demidov reportedly still needs a walking boot has only intensified the worry. It doesn’t mean surgery is inevitable, but it does nothing to calm the nerves around his recovery.
For now, Montreal is carrying on without him. The Canadiens are 11-3-4, sitting seventh overall in the NHL and third in the Atlantic Division, with Boston next on the schedule tonight.
Demidov has also come up in discussion because of Matvei Michkov’s reported trade request, given the attention around their friendship. But that has no connection to Demidov’s injury situation.
Decker didn’t hold back when he posted his thoughts on X:
"I still wouldn’t be shocked if they soon announce his ankle isn’t healing properly and he needs surgery.
What a gong show this has become. With the organization’s franchise forward, none the less."
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