Ivan Demidov
Demidov is a 20-year-old Canadiens winger who is out with a lower-body injury. The 2-to-4-week window ends around November 3, and as of the latest report he had not returned to practice, so his return date is unknown.
Role
He is on injured reserve, so he has no current line or power-play slot. When the club announced the injury on October 6, Habs Eyes on the Prize posted the lines as Caufield-Suzuki-Kreider, Slafkovský-Newhook-Dach, and Anderson-Evans-F. Xhekaj, with Demidov absent. A 5V5 Hockey page dated October 27 (sourced to Daily Faceoff pre-game reporting) shows Caufield-Kapanen-Slafkovský on line 1 and Kreider-Newhook-Anderson on line 2, with Bolduc and Dach on lower lines. Its power play pairs Slafkovský with Caufield, Kapanen, Dobson and Hutson on PP1, and Kreider, Newhook, Bolduc, Matheson and Texier on PP2. That page does not list him because he is hurt. Daily Faceoff's own line page loaded as stale (last updated December 2025), so I can't say where he slots when healthy. I found no reporting on his ice time or linemates after he returns. Last season he averaged 15:30 of ice time, per Fox Sports. The numbers we hold show 2 GP, 1 G and 1 A, which look like this season's first two games, since he played all 82 games last season.
He was the leading scorer among rookies last season with 62 points in 82 games and finished second in Calder voting, per Yahoo and Yardbarker. He has a goal and an assist in two games this season. The club has been cautious in resting him, and the injury looks like a short-term issue. A Hockey News piece says he scored the tying goal before going down, and describes the Canadiens as a deep young team with talent, which suggests they can wait for him to heal fully.
The injury has lasted longer than the initial look suggested. A Winning Habit piece from November 1 says he has not played since October 3, was seen in a walking boot, and has only just shed it. It also says he has not resumed practice and that the club has given no update on a timeline. It argues his absence will likely run past the four-week estimate. He also battled a foot issue through the preseason, per Fox Sports, and Montreal is winning without him, so there is little reason to rush him back.
Where analysts split
The real question is how soon he returns. The club's 2-to-4-week estimate ends around November 3, but A Winning Habit thinks it will run longer because he has not resumed practice. I found no beat-writer or club statement giving a return date, and no analyst argument about his role once he is back.
Injury: IR: assessed avoid
Lower-body injury, IR, out 2-4 weeks
Placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury expected to keep him out 2-4 weeks, with an expected return of 2026-10-20; this is a multi-week absence that rules him out for immediate lineup consideration.
What would change this: Updates on practice participation or official announcement of his return/activation from IR
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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