The Montreal Canadiens have a chance to put together a special season after showing what their young roster was capable of during the playoffs in the spring.
One thing that every team with big aspirations has to avoid, though, is injuries.
And on Tuesday, news emerged that the Habs won’t be at full strength for at least a few weeks. They’ll have to play for a while without Ivan Demidov.
Ivan Demidov Injury Update
The Canadiens announced on Tuesday that Demidov is going to be out for multiple weeks with a lower-body injury.
Their official announced timeline was two-to-four weeks.
L’attaquant Ivan Demidov (bas du corps) ratera de deux à quatre semaines d’activité.
Forward Ivan Demidov (lower body) will be out for two to four weeks.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 6, 2026
Because NHL teams aren’t required to share anything beyond the half of the body that the injury is in, it’s hard to know exactly what Demidov is dealing with. There’s really no way to put on a doctor hat and assess what could come next.
Demidov did take a shot off his foot in the preseason that may have been what was ailing him, but there’s no way to know for sure.
For now, all that Montreal fans can do is know they’re without Demidov for a while.
Ivan Demidov Stats
Demidov had appeared in two games so far this season for Montreal before the injury. He had one goal and one assist.
Last season was his first full year in the NHL, and he appeared in all 82 regular season games. Demidov had 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points.
Still not turning 21 until December, the No. 5 overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft was expected to push toward a point-per-game pace this season. He’s one of the most promising young players in hockey.
This injury certainly wasn’t ideal timing for the Habs, but it seems they’ve at least avoided a longer absence.
How Many Games Will Ivan Demidov Miss?
Demidov will miss between 7 and 12 games if he indeed is out for between two and four weeks.
Unfortunately, not surprised by this. You could tell that Demidov was not himself since he took a shot off the foot 15 days ago in a preseason game vs the Senators. Out two to four weeks translates to missing 7 to 12 games.
— Tony Marinaro (@TonyMarinaro) October 6, 2026
That’s certainly a key chunk of the season, but if the Canadiens can ensure that Demidov is at full strength by the end of his absence, they’ll likely deal with this short time away.
The biggest key, especially with a young player, is making sure nothing sticks around and lingers that can hurt more over the long haul.
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