Ivan Demidov has played only two games this season, and his injury has already exposed a problem for the Canadiens: without him, the second line does not produce. Out two to four weeks with a lower-body injury, Demidov leaves a hole that nobody on the roster has filled, and Tuesday’s 6-4 home-opener loss to Carolina showed it.

What Demidov Brings

Demidov is one of the most important pieces of the Habs’ offence, and a key part of the second line. He is a gifted, creative player who makes things happen with the puck, and last season he scored 62 points (19 goals and 43 assists in 82 games) and added nine more in 19 playoff games. I believe one reason that line was so good last year was Demidov.

He is also central to the way Martin St-Louis wants to play. With Chris Kreider on the top line next to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the second line of Slafkovský and Demidov was supposed to give the Canadiens a second scoring threat and a more balanced attack. That plan has to wait.

A Second Line That Does Not Produce

We need to talk about the depth of the team. When a team loses an important top-six forward, it is not easy to replace him. The Canadiens have a lot of bottom-six players, but not many of them can move up to the second line and produce. Kirby Dach is an example, and Alex Newhook is another. This is a problem for many NHL teams, but as St-Louis likes to say, the league does not care. Someone has to step up in Demidov’s absence.

So far nobody has. Slafkovský, Newhook and Demidov have combined for four points in three games, and none of them came at five-on-five. Newhook’s assist came on the power play. Slafkovský’s goal came with the extra attacker. Both of Demidov’s points, an assist on Kreider’s goal at 18:52 and the tying goal at 19:16 in Pittsburgh, also came with the goalie out of the net. At even strength, that line has produced nothing.

The injury also opened the door for two auditions. Dach got the first one on Tuesday night, and he did not take the chance. He played 9:38, had no shots and finished at minus-1. Nothing has changed with Dach, and at this point his time in the lineup is limited. Newhook has been in Kapanen‘s spot since the start of the season, and in three games he has one point.

Slafkovský Is Still Learning

Then there is Slafkovský, who has not had a great start to the season. He has one goal and no assists in three games, with five shots, and he was a minus-1 on Tuesday in 19:43 of ice time. Without Demidov next to him, he is the one who has to drive that line, and so far he has not done it.

Slafkovský badly wants to be the man on his line, and the pressure he puts on himself is hurting him right now. Against Carolina it showed in his decisions with the puck. His turnover in the first period led to Carolina’s opening goal. Late in the third period he scored on the six-on-five, which was a good sign, but with the Canadiens pressing to tie it with the goalie pulled, he lost the puck in the neutral zone, and Carolina scored into the empty net. He was also visibly frustrated on the bench. Suzuki said after the game that Slafkovský gets into trouble when he forces things and that he talks with him all the time about staying positive. He does not want him to change.

It is not new. Slafkovský almost always starts slowly. In his first season, in 2022-23, he had one point in his first five games. In 2023-24 he had one point in his first ten. In 2024-25 he had his best start, four points in five games, but only one goal. Last season he again had one point in his first five games, then finished with 30 goals and 73 points. Now it is one point in three games. He is 22 and still learning that he cannot make something happen every time he touches the puck, and history says he will get going.

Slafkovský, Demidov and Lane Hutson are the next wave of the Canadiens’ core, the players with the most room to grow, and how Slafkovský handles this stretch matters. Martin St-Louis can help by being patient. When the team is trailing, it is tempting to put him back with Suzuki and Caufield, but the Demidov injury could be a chance to let him work it out on his own line and learn to handle the frustration when plays are not there. The problem is that the Canadiens cannot afford a long wait while Demidov is out.

Coach’s Take

Three things stand out. First, Demidov’s injury exposes how thin the Canadiens are at forward, and the second line has to find five-on-five production. Second, the auditions for Dach and Newhook have not gone well so far, and St-Louis has few options left. Third, Slafkovský’s slow start is not new, but without Demidov he is the one who has to carry that line. A healthy Kapanen would help, but the Canadiens will feel Demidov’s absence for as long as it lasts.

Next Game

The Canadiens host the Nashville Predators on Thursday night at the Bell Centre (7:00 p.m. ET). Follow the latest on the injury report, our earlier look at the Demidov injury and our recap of the home opener.