Lane Hutson misses Ivan Demidov

Jonathan Di Gregorio
Lane Hutson misses Ivan Demidov
Credit: Getty Images

Is Ivan Demidov close to returning to action?

We can hope so, since the forward has started skating again, but it's hard to say, as the Canadiens are providing very few details about his situation.

The same is true for Samuel Montembeault's injury.

Demidov has been out since October 6—the game against Carolina—and what was supposed to be a two- to four-week absence has now stretched to six weeks. Should we be concerned about his recovery?

It's understandable that the Montreal organization wants to protect its players, but the lack of transparency from team management can be frustrating for both fans and the media.

The Russian player will not travel with the team this week, nor will Josh Anderson, Samuel Montembeault, and Mike Matheson, as the Habs will play their next three games on the road.

So, it's impossible to know if Demidov will be back in action anytime soon.

Meanwhile, his practice partner, Lane Hutson, is missing the No. 93 forward, as are his teammates. They can't wait for him to return to action.

The same goes for Montreal fans.

Even though the team has performed well since his absence (11-3-3), Demidov's absence is particularly felt on the Habs' power play, which currently ranks 31st in the NHL with a 13.3% success rate. Only the Senators have fared worse so far this season.

Given the team's offensive talent, this is hard to understand, and the Habs might have been able to pick up a few more points if their power play were operating at full capacity.

Worse still, the Habs often seem to lose momentum during their power plays, which gives their opponents the confidence to get back into the game.

The Russian forward's return should help the team perform better on the power play and make their opponents more hesitant to take penalties against them, which, ultimately, will also help them at five-on-five.

In short, let's hope we see Demidov back on the ice soon.


In Brief

– It's official: Russia will not participate in the upcoming World Junior Championship due to restrictions imposed by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

– Olivier Paiement is looking forward to seeing Montembeault return to challenge Dobeš.

– Henrik Lundqvist scored a goal in the Rangers alumni game.

– The Canadian women's team will face the U.S. women's team in the championship game.

– Read more.

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