The Canadiens practiced Monday morning in Brossard, and the headline is not a line change. Jake Evans left the ice early and did not return after an accidental contact with captain Nick Suzuki. Early reports differ on whether it was his hand or his leg, and the team has not given an update. Montréal hosts the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre, so the answer matters fast.

Below is what the lines looked like, what Evans means to this group, who was and was not on the ice, and the numbers behind Tuesday’s game.

Lines and Pairings at Practice

Group	Players at practice
Line 1	Caufield – Suzuki – Slafkovský
Line 2	Bolduc – Danault – Texier
Line 3	Dach – Kapanen – Newhook
Line 4	Kreider – Anderson – F. Xhekaj / Beck
Pair 1	Hutson – Dobson
Pair 2	Guhle – Carrier
Pair 3	A. Xhekaj – Engström

Josh Anderson took the center spot on the fourth line, and that happened by necessity. The two extra forwards on the ice were Florian Xhekaj and Owen Beck, and one of them is on that line with Anderson and Kreider. The defense pairings are the same as Saturday in Toronto.

What Jake Evans Means to This Lineup

Evans has played all 17 games with two goals and four assists, averaging 15:24 a night. One of those goals came shorthanded. He is also a trusted penalty killer, and he wins 55.1% of his faceoffs. That last number is the one to watch. Among the Canadiens who take regular draws, only Nick Suzuki (54.9%) and Phillip Danault (54.7%) are close to it. Newhook (49.7%), Dach (47.1%) and Kapanen (43.3%) are all under 50%.

If Evans cannot play, the Canadiens do not just lose a body in the middle six. They lose a center who wins draws and kills penalties, and the fix is not obvious. Anderson centered the line in practice, but he has taken very few faceoffs this season, and he has won a third of them. A coach can live with that on a fourth line in the offensive zone. He cannot live with it on a defensive-zone draw late in a one-goal game. If Martin St-Louis keeps Anderson at center, expect Danault and Suzuki to take the important draws, and expect a winger to step in on the draws in the line’s own end.

Practice lines with an injured player are a puzzle, not a decision. Saturday in Toronto, Kreider played with Evans and Newhook on the second line. Monday, that line did not exist: Kreider dropped to the fourth line with Anderson, Newhook moved next to Dach and Kapanen, and Danault’s group moved up to line two. The next real answer comes at the morning skate or in the warmup.

Anderson Back, Demidov and Matheson Still Out

Anderson was back on the ice after missing Saturday in Toronto for personal reasons. He has 7 goals and 3 assists in 16 games this season, so getting him back in the lineup matters whatever happens with Evans.

Ivan Demidov did not skate in Brossard. He has shown no setback so far, but he has not returned either, and he has missed 15 games since playing the first two of the season. Under the new injury-update rules Kent Hughes explained last week, the team will only update his status if there is a setback or if it takes much longer than first announced. We covered those rules here.

Mike Matheson remains out and was seen on the other rink as the session ended. He has played 8 of the 17 games, with 1 goal and 3 assists, and he averages 23:48 when he plays, so the blue line has been missing its biggest minutes for nine games. Samuel Montembeault skated before practice.

Lineup Status

Player	Status
Jake Evans	Left practice early, no update
Josh Anderson	Back at practice
Ivan Demidov	Did not skate
Mike Matheson	Out
Samuel Montembeault	Skated before practice
Goalie for Tuesday	Not confirmed

Minnesota at the Bell Centre

The Canadiens are 11-3-3 with 25 points, second in the Atlantic, and 8-0-2 in their last 10 games. The Wild are 12-3-4 with 28 points and lead the Central, going 6-1-3 in their last 10. Both teams come in playing well, and neither has lost much in regulation recently.

In goal, Jacob Fowler is 8-1-1 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average. Jakub Dobeš is 3-2-2 with a .847 save percentage and a 4.04 goals-against average. No starter has been confirmed for Tuesday. Carey Price is also set to be honored at the Bell Centre the day after his induction into the Hall of Fame, so expect a special atmosphere before the puck drops.

What to Watch Tuesday

Watch the center spot first. If Evans plays, the lines go back close to what we saw Saturday. If he does not, watch who takes the faceoffs and who kills penalties, because that is where the gap will show against a Wild team that will test the Canadiens’ special teams. We will update our Lineup Tonight page and Injury Report as soon as the lineup is confirmed.

Sources: official NHL statistics and game data, Dose.ca, The Hockey News and Montreal Hockey Fanatics.