Canadiens reportedly pulled out of towering forward's trade after Ivan Demidov injury

A Kirby Dach trade to a western team was apparently close, and then the Montreal Canadiens hit the brakes.

A source close to general manager Kent Hughes says Montreal walked away at the final moment once it learned Ivan Demidov would be sidelined, and the two sides could circle back to the idea within a month.

The timing is easy to understand.

Montreal announced Tuesday that Demidov will be out two to four weeks with a lower-body injury.

The 20-year-old led all NHL rookies with 62 points last season and just signed an eight-year, $73.2 million extension, so even a short absence thins out the top six.

With Demidov out, Dach is expected to step into his spot on the second line alongside Alex Newhook and Juraj Slafkovsky.

That is a real chance for a player who has fought injuries for years.

The numbers back that up. Dach played only 154 of a possible 328 games over the last four seasons.

He re-signed in July on a one-year contract with a $3.6 million cap hit, and he can hit unrestricted free agency next summer.

The post does not name the club, but Edmonton has been linked to Dach recently.

Frank Seravalli reported late last month that the Oilers are extremely interested and plan to land him eventually, whether that happens now, at the deadline or in free agency.

Demidov's timeline lines up with the reported window.

A return somewhere between late October and early November would give Hughes a clearer picture of his forward group before he picks the talks back up.

Stay tuned.

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