The Montreal Canadiens will be without forward Ivan Demidov after the franchise announced Tuesday that the 20-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury.
Montreal says Demidov will miss two to four weeks. The forward did not participate in Tuesday’s morning skate after also missing Monday’s practice, when the Canadiens listed his absence as a “therapy day.”
The injury will prevent Demidov from playing in the Habs’ home opener, thus missing his first game since he joined the Canadiens, according to TSN’s Kenzie Lalonde.
Montreal opened the season with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs before losing in overtime to Pittsburgh, giving the Canadiens a 1-0-1 record and three points through two games.
Demidov played each of Montreal’s first two games this season and recorded his first two points of the campaign in Saturday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished that game with one goal and one assist.
Sportsnet reported that Demidov missed two preseason practices after blocking a shot with his foot, though the Canadiens have identified his current issue only as a lower-body injury without providing further details about how or when it happened.
Demidov entered the 2026-27 NHL season after recording 62 points in 82 games as a rookie in 2025-26. He scored 19 goals and added 43 assists, led all rookies in scoring and finished second in Calder Trophy voting.
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The winger added nine points, including three goals, in 19 playoff games as Montreal advanced to the Eastern Conference Final last postseason.
After that, Demidov signed an eight-year, $73.2 million contract extension on July 1. The deal kicks in next season and carries a $9.15 million annual cap hit through the 2034-35 season.
The Canadiens return to action Tuesday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m. ET.
