The Canadiens will have to get by without Ivan Demidov for a while.
Montreal announced that Demidov is out for two to four weeks with a lower-body injury, and the timing is less than ideal for a team that could use more punch from its top six. He was not on the ice for the morning skate, according to Eric Engels, and he also missed practice yesterday, which the team labeled a “therapy day”.
It’s a frustrating break for a young player who has already given Montreal a quick glimpse of his upside. Through two games, the Russian forward has one goal and one assist for two points. He’s also in the final year of his entry-level contract, which makes the setback even more notable.
Demidov’s injury history this season has already included a pair of preseason absences. He missed two preseason games after blocking a shot with his foot against the Senators.
The 2024 fifth overall pick has been piling up value fast. Last season, he put up 62 points in 82 games and finished second in Calder Trophy voting, then followed that by adding nine points in 19 playoff games as Montreal reached the Eastern Conference Finals. On the opening day of 2026 free agency, he signed an eight-year, $73.2MM extension with an AAV of $9.15MM that begins after this season.
That deal has looked like a steal in the wake of some of the massive contracts handed out since then. Demidov’s agent, Dan Milstein, told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette that Demidov was willing to leave money on the table because he wanted to help the team add pieces and chase wins. Milstein also said Demidov preferred the security of an eight-year contract rather than going the shorter-term route some other young players have chosen this summer.
Now Montreal has to shuffle things around. Kirby Dach is expected to move up and skate with Alex Newhook and Juraj Slafkovsky, while Florian Xhekaj is set to make his season debut on the fourth line alongside Jake Evans and Josh Anderson.
Xhekaj appeared in five games for the Canadiens last season and recorded one point. Montreal picked Arber’s brother 101st overall in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he fits the mold of a bottom-six role player, with off-puck awareness and a knack for being a nuisance around the crease.
Tonight’s game against the Hurricanes at 7 p.m. ET will be the first game Demidov misses as a member of the Canadiens.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Found The Answer To A Big Top-Line Debate
Juraj Slafkovskys place in the Montreal Canadiens lineup has been one of the more interesting debates around the clubs recent stretch, and it took a twist when he was shifted onto the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The move came with Ivan Demidov sidelined, forcing the Canadiens to adjust their forward combinations and giving Slafkovsky a chance to show how he fits beside the teams two most established finishers.
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
A routine practice took an unwelcome turn for the Canadiens when Sam Montembeault went down with a non-contact right leg injury, and the team is expected to update his status later. For a club that had not exactly planned on revisiting its crease chart this way, the timing matters, especially with the goaltending picture still being shaped by what Jakub Dobe does with his opportunities.
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 🡒]