Ivan Demidov gave Martin St-Louis a scare after blocking a heavy point shot and heading straight to the Canadiens' bench in visible discomfort.
The sequence happened during Montreal's exhibition game in Trois-Rivières, where Demidov stepped into the shooting lane and immediately reacted after taking the puck.
He made his way toward the bench under his own power, but the discomfort was noticeable as the Canadiens watched their young forward closely.
Marco D'Amico reported that Demidov still appeared capable of continuing despite looking uncomfortable after the block.
"Demidov blocks a slapper from the point and heads to the bench. He looks like he can still go, but clearly in a bit of discomfort."
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That distinction matters. There was no immediate indication that Demidov had been ruled out, but Montreal already has other injury situations demanding attention.
Jake Evans recently appeared fine after a similar sequence against the Maple Leafs before subsequently missing practices.
Canadiens have another injury situation to monitor
Evans later skated separately alongside Kaiden Guhle and Alexandre Carrier while the rest of the Canadiens travelled to Trois-Rivières.
That context makes any scare involving Demidov harder to brush aside, especially with the regular season approaching and St-Louis working through his lineup decisions.
Demidov is expected to carry an important offensive role for Montreal, and any missed time would immediately affect the club's options in the top six and on the power play.
For now, the strongest sign is that he appeared able to continue after reaching the bench rather than leaving the game immediately.
Still, blocked shots can create swelling and soreness that become clearer after the game, so his condition over the next practices will offer a better indication of whether this was only a scare.
The Canadiens will also want clarity on Evans, Guhle and Carrier as they sort through availability before the regular season begins.
Tuesday night's game was part of the Kraft Hockeyville event in Trois-Rivières, but Demidov's late-game scare quickly became one of the main developments to watch.
Montreal avoided an immediate worst-case scenario, but Demidov's next appearance on the ice will now draw plenty of attention.
Should the Canadiens keep Ivan Demidov out of the next exhibition game as a precaution?
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