The Montreal Canadiens, in a lot of ways, are in a great position.
They have a young team with immense talent and reasonable contracts. It feels like their contention window is wide open, and that it might stay that way for a while.
There are only a few things that can really ruin an outlook like that, and one of them is injuries.
That’s why Ivan Demidov’s current absence for the Habs is at least notable. He may not be gone for too much longer, but it’s just the reality check of the situation that stands out.
For the Canadiens to reach their ceiling, they’ll need their best players on the ice. Demidov, for example, is one of their best players.
If the Montreal future includes too many injuries, the bright outlook it appears they have could instead turn out to be underwhelming.
So it’s worth considering Demidov’s current injury in the larger context. This particular ailment probably isn’t a huge deal, but the Canadiens won’t want to make a habit of getting hurt.
Ivan Demidov Injury Update
Michael Amato of Sportsnet wrote about Demidov on Friday and provided this update on his injury and timeline:
“Any time a top-six forward goes down, it’s a big loss, especially one as dynamic as Demidov. The Canadiens winger is expected to miss the next two to four weeks with a lower-body injury after an impressive game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he potted a goal and an assist.”
A two-to-four week absence isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things, and Montreal should be able to tread water in the meantime, especially considering they still have a ton of talent on the ice.
The early-season injury is particularly jarring to a team, though, because you open the year with a plan and it immediately changes.
“Montreal is also off to a bit of a slow start in what figures to be a very successful season,” Amato writes. “The Canadiens have just one win thus far and have given up 17 goals in their past three games, so they are certainly going to miss Demidov’s firepower.”
Good News for Canadiens
Montreal is in a good spot relative to most teams, though. They’ve got the depth to withstand an absence.
“There will be more pressure on players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson to step up,” Amato writes. “And yes, the Atlantic Division figures to be very competitive, but there’s enough talent on the Canadiens to survive without Demidov for a few weeks. It’s a concern but no need for full-blown panic.”
Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov Injury Update Causes Concern in Montreal