Montreal Canadiens lose star forward for many weeks in major early-season blow
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Ivan Demidov will miss two to four weeks with a lower-body injury, the Canadiens announced Tuesday. Here's what it means for Montreal's lineup.
The Montreal Canadiens just got some unwelcome news on Ivan Demidov.
The team announced Tuesday morning that the 20-year-old forward will be out two to four weeks with a lower-body injury.
He didn't skate Monday in what the team described as a therapy day.
The timing stings. Demidov only collected his first points of the season on Saturday, scoring a goal and adding an assist in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Who steps in for Demidov
Florian Xhekaj draws into the lineup for Tuesday's game.
That puts more offensive responsibility on a group that now has to find a way without one of its most dangerous young players.
Every shift matters early in a long season.
Why he matters so much in Montreal
Demidov led all rookies in scoring last season with 19 goals and 62 points in 82 games.
He finished second to New York Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer in Calder Trophy voting.
He then added three goals and nine points in 19 playoff games before the Canadiens fell in the Eastern Conference Final.
The club has already shown how much it believes in him.
He signed an eight-year, $73.2 million extension on July 1, with the deal kicking in next season and running through 2034-35 at a $9.15 million cap hit.
Two to four weeks covers a real stretch of the early schedule, so Montreal will lean on its depth in the meantime.
Still, this reads as a short-term setback for a 20-year-old the franchise plans to build around for years.
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