Ivan Demidov will miss the next two to four weeks with a lower-body injury, a blow to a Canadiens forward group that was already missing pieces. The news arrives on the night the Canadiens open the home schedule against Carolina. Counting from tonight, two weeks would cost Demidov about six games and four weeks about twelve.

Tonight’s Lineup

Four players are out for the game against the Hurricanes: Demidov, Kaiden Guhle, Oliver Kapanen and Adam Engström. Florian Xhekaj makes his season debut, and Jakub Dobes gets the start in goal.

Line	Forwards
First	Kreider – Suzuki – Caufield
Second	Slafkovsky – Newhook – Dach
Third	Texier – Danault – Bolduc
Fourth	F. Xhekaj – Evans – Anderson

Pair	Defensemen
First	Matheson – Dobson
Second	Hutson – Carrier
Third	Struble – A. Xhekaj

What the Canadiens Lose

Demidov, 20, was the fifth overall pick in 2024 and put up 19 goals and 62 points in 82 games in his first full NHL season, then added nine points in 19 playoff games. On July 1 he signed an eight-year, $73 million contract, which makes him one of the central pieces of this team for the long term. He has started this season the same way: one goal and one assist in two games. In Pittsburgh he scored the tying goal late in the third period with the goaltender pulled, in a game the Canadiens eventually lost in overtime.

The Injury Trend

Durability has not been the concern with Demidov. He played all 82 regular-season games and 19 playoff games last season, and a wrist scare in the 2025 preseason did not cost him a regular-season game. This fall is different. Reports during the preseason said he was hit by a shot in the game against Ottawa on September 21, and he was held out of some practices and of the September 26 preseason games. He still played in both of the Canadiens’ first two games, but he missed Monday’s practice, and now the team is looking at a stretch of two to four weeks. The injury has been described only as lower body, and it has not been explained whether it is related to the preseason issue.

A Plan Interrupted

The injury hits one of the ideas built in training camp, as Arpon Basu detailed in The Athletic: giving Slafkovský his own duo with Demidov, with Kapanen between them, instead of using him as the third wheel next to Suzuki and Caufield. With both Demidov and Kapanen out, that line cannot exist for now. Tonight Slafkovský plays with Newhook and Dach, while Kreider, Suzuki and Caufield stay together as the first line.

It also changes the conversation we had in our Martin St-Louis article. The coach has been talking about the problem of having too many good players, and injuries just solved part of it for him. The decisions are easier for now, but they are only postponed. When Demidov and Kapanen come back, the depth problem comes back with them, and so does the question of who stays in the lineup.

Florian Xhekaj Gets His Chance

Florian Xhekaj, 22, plays on the fourth line with Evans and Anderson. He appeared in five NHL games last season and had one assist and seven penalty minutes. In Laval he played 64 games, scored 17 goals and finished with 29 points and 182 penalty minutes. His brother Arber is on the third defense pair, so two Xhekajs are in the same Canadiens lineup tonight. For a player whose game is built on physicality and energy, a home opener against the team that eliminated the Canadiens last spring is a good test.

Dobes Gets the Net Again

Dobes is the starter once more. He is 1-0-1 so far, stopping 26 of 28 shots in the win in Toronto and 24 of 30 in Pittsburgh. Last season he went 29-10-4 in the regular season and played all 19 playoff games. Tonight is a good chance to show that he can be the reliable goaltender behind a team with higher expectations.

Coach’s Take

Injuries decide who plays, but they also decide who gets noticed. Dach, Texier and Florian Xhekaj all have a real opportunity tonight, and the message St-Louis gave the group was clear: make it hard for the coach to take you out. If they play well, the decisions he will face when the injured players return become harder, and that is a good problem to have.

For Demidov, the most important thing is not to rush. Two to four weeks is not a long absence in an 84-game season, and the Canadiens have the depth to survive it. The first test of that depth is tonight against Carolina.