Ivan Demidov: I want an update

It's Not All Roses

However, there is some bad news—or at least some concerning news—regarding the Canadiens.

Chris Kreider was unable to finish last night's game after taking a strange fall late in the third period. He returned to Montreal with the team early this morning, and we're awaiting an update on his condition.

On the other hand, we already know we'll have to take the news as it comes. We've seen Oliver Kapanen listed as day-to-day for a month…

We've never really known what injuries or ailments Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson have had—and still have.

However, the two most troubling cases are clearly those of Ivan Demidov and Samuel Montembeault.

Ivan Demidov: He was injured while blocking a shot on September 21 in Trois-Rivières… and the Canadiens announced on October 6 that he would be out for two to four weeks. It's now been nearly six weeks, and Demidov still hasn't returned to action.

His agent is the one who has told us the most about his condition, mentioning last week that Demidov fractured his ankle and still has a few more weeks to go before returning to action.

Demidov skated away from prying eyes at the Bell Centre (someone even lost their job for filming him) and in Brossard (the media and fans were barred from entering) last week, but things don't seem to have progressed since then. According to my sources, the Russian winger laced up his skates only once between Monday and Wednesday this week and is still wearing his orthopedic boot when he's on the move.

Except that his rehab is going well enough that he's announced he'll be able to sign autographs in nine days in Mascouche…

Samuel Montembeault: We all thought he was already gone, but he did indeed start the season in Montreal, while Jacob Fowler was in Laval.

However, he got injured the day before his first start… and the rest of the story unfolded without him.

When Montembeault suffered a lower-body injury on October 7, the Canadiens told us he'd be out for 10 to 14 days. The problem is that after a week or so, he was still having trouble climbing stairs…

Here we are more than a month later, and Montembeault still isn't 100% recovered.

He's started practicing with the team again, but he's not ready to play yet. And when he is, he'll most likely have to play a few games in Laval to get back into the swing of things. Remember: he hasn't played an official game since March (and that didn't go well).

It's worth noting that reliable sources have told me that, barring a surprise or a sudden turn of events, Montembeault isn't expected to play another game with the Habs. Will he be traded? Sent down? We'll see.

Conclusion

The Canadiens may have updated their policy regarding the information the organization chooses to share about its injured players, but the Demidov and Montembeault situations are suspicious. They don't make sense.

I'm often told that there's nothing to worry about with Demidov, that his rehab is going well…

Still, the facts themselves remain concerning. When a rehab scheduled to last two to four weeks ends up taking six, seven, or even eight, that's cause for concern.

I'm really looking forward to an update soon…