Kent Hughes finally breaks silence on Ivan Demidov injury

Eric Engels reports that Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has just given an update on the Ivan Demidov injury situation.

Montreal has said very little about the 20-year-old forward. He is listed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, and according to the latest injury report he is expected to be out until at least Nov 14.

Engels noted that Hughes spoke about Demidov and also about the Canadiens' policy on sharing injury information.

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The timing matters because the Canadiens are playing well. They sit 10-3-3 and second in the Atlantic Division, and they beat Utah 5-4 in overtime last night.

Demidov has played just 2 games this season, with a goal and an assist. For a player drafted fifth overall in 2024, and one who put up 21 goals in his first 84 games before that, every missed night draws attention.

The injury list has been growing in the public eye, too. Earlier this week we covered Alex Newhook's missed practice, and he still played Thursday, finishing with an assist in 12:14 of ice time.

That kind of back and forth is exactly why the policy question is a fair one. When fans and reporters are left guessing about a top-line talent, the vagueness becomes its own story, and it rarely helps the team.

What Hughes' injury policy means for Canadiens fans

Teams in the NHL have wide latitude on how much they share, and Montreal has chosen a cautious approach so far. Hughes addressing it directly tells you the questions were getting loud enough to answer.

For now, the only hard information is the listing itself. An ankle injury and a mid-November target is an estimate, not a promise, and it can move in either direction.

Montreal also has to keep winning without him. The Canadiens head to Toronto on Saturday, and the Nov 14 mark is the next date to watch on Demidov.

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