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Oliver Kapanen is injured

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Sep 28, 2026 2:14 PM ET

This morning, the Canadiens players took to the ice for one last practice before heading to Toronto.

The first piece of good news is that Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson were there. Neither of them played in either of the two preseason games on September 26 against Ottawa.

So that's a step in the right direction.

Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson are at practice this morning, after missing Saturday night's session. @DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Demidov #Hutson #NHL pic.twitter.com/FuVIkTkcaM

— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) September 28, 2026

That said, it quickly became apparent that someone was missing: Oliver Kapanen. The second-line center at camp has a lower-body injury, and the Canadiens announced that he is day-to-day.

It's off to a rough start.

Practice has started in Brossard. No Oliver Kapanen on the ice.

Lower-body injury (according to the Habs).

Does that explain why Florian made the team? If Kapanen doesn't play tomorrow, it'll give us even more clues in that regard… @DLCoulisses pic.twitter.com/qpLeronTc6

— Marc-Olivier Cook (@Cook_Marco) September 28, 2026

Is that why Florian Xhekaj was sent down to the AHL? After all, if Oliver Kapanen can't play, the Canadiens have only 13 healthy forwards.

And on top of that, there's Ivan Demidov, who isn't at 100%.

Of course, we don't necessarily know the severity of Kapanen's injury yet. But what we do know is that the Canadiens had chosen him, right from the start of camp, to lead the second line. And now, he's not in top shape. #NotIdeal

We also note that defensively, the Canadiens put Adam Engstrom in the seventh defenseman spot this morning. That's likely why David Reinbacher didn't make the team… #IceTime

This morning's defensive pairings look like this:

Hutson – Carrier
Matheson – Dobson
Xhekaj – Struble

Guhle (no contact) – Engström @DLCoulisses
pic.twitter.com/yrALGJU3n2

— Marc-Olivier Cook (@Cook_Marco) September 28, 2026

So practice has provided some answers to questions we were asking yesterday, following the Canadiens' wave of roster cuts with more than 24 hours to go before lineups are announced.

Details to follow…

In a nutshell

– Kaiden Guhle practiced in a no-contact jersey.

Kaiden Guhle is practicing in a no-contact jersey this morning. @DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Guhle #NHL pic.twitter.com/S9MnaHL6AL

— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) September 28, 2026

– Good question.

Jakub Dobes and Derek Lalonde just had a good two- or three-minute chat.

I'm really wondering what they talked about. But I find it interesting! @DLCoulisses pic.twitter.com/AFYPbXazNt

— Marc-Olivier Cook (@Cook_Marco) September 28, 2026

– Hehe.

Do you have enough tape on your stick, Tex?

Or is it still a little too much? Soon, we'll see him playing with a stick without tape @DLCoulisses pic.twitter.com/r3VrMEbkRC

— Marc-Olivier Cook (@Cook_Marco) September 28, 2026

– News from the Maple Leafs.

The great Mark Masters is wearing a blue suit this morning. It's a sign that another season is about to begin.

The Leafs' lineup on the eve of their season opener against the Habs in Toronto. https://t.co/EoHXkHwgaq

— J-F Chaumont (@JFChaumontLNH) September 28, 2026

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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