Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov fractured ankle in preseason

Demidov, 20, has been out since early October with what was classified as a lower-body injury. Despite sustaining the injury in the preseason, the Russian national was active to start the regular season, putting up a goal and an assist in two games before initially getting ruled out for two to four weeks.

Now in early November, we’re at the tail end of that time frame, but Milstein suggested that Demidov is still weeks away from returning.

“Ivan Demidov is getting ready. Probably a few more weeks or so, we’ll see him back in the lineup,” Milstein said. “Unfortunately, he had a fractured ankle in the preseason. It was bothering him but he continued playing for the two games. I saw him after the first game of the season in Toronto, he walked up to me and said ‘Hey, something is bothering (me), something is not right.’ Then he goes out, plays the second game and we did an MRI. Hopefully Ivan will be back on the ice in a very short while and he’ll help the Montreal Canadiens start winning some games.”

Demidov is coming off a sterling rookie season, in which he notched 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points in all 82 regular season games, finishing second in voting for the Calder Trophy. He then contributed three goals and six assists for nine points in Montreal’s 19 playoff games.

The Canadiens will host the Utah Mammoth on Thursday to finish up a three-game home stand.