Demidov Injury Quickly Reinforcing The Importance Of Canadiens' Depth

When the Montreal Canadiens signed veteran winger Chris Kreider late in the off-season, the move was hailed as a great depth addition on an already strong Montreal team.

But the injury bug has already struck the Habs, with star winger Ivan Demidov knocked out of the lineup for the next two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury. 

If he didn't already, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is now looking savvy for picking up Kreider on a team-friendly, one-year contract paying him $2.15 million.

Kreider shouldn't be seen as any kind of savior, of course, but he does have a goal and two points in Montreal's first two games. That's the kind of start that will endear him to Habs fans.

Having someone as cost-effective as Kreider allows Hughes to be judicious with the rest of his salary cap space. There's not a lot available — approximately $1.9 million — but if Demidov's injury proves to be a bigger issue, Montreal is going to amass more roster flexibility, and be able to take a major swing at this season’s trade deadline.

Kreider more-or-less fell into the Canadiens' lap, but Hughes still had to sell Kreider on his role with the team. 

Father Time remains undefeated, so at some point the 35-year-old's effectiveness is going to tailspin. But at the price point Kreider signed for, his acquisition essentially was a gift to a team that wasn't going to turn away a playoff warrior.

If more injuries impact Montreal's roster as the season unfolds, Hughes is going to be even happier that he held on to the cap space he currently has. It might make for better optics to spend every dollar and push to the upper limit of the cap right out of the gate, but by being patient and opportunistic, the Habs are going to be players on the trade market.

Of course, the best thing would be for Demidov to return in 14 days. But you can't hang your hat on the best-case scenario in the face of health problems. Sometimes things are going to drag out for a few weeks. Other times they may bleed into a month and beyond.

You would be irresponsible if you didn't allow for some flexibility in the way you put a roster together. 

W'th help from Kreider, that's exactly what Hughes was able to do. He doesn't have enough cap space or trade capital to pull off a blockbuster — that's why they lost out on new Toronto Maple Leafs star winger Kirill Marchenko — but Hughes has created enough space to bring in help at some point in the year.

For a Canadiens team that came into the summer riding high on a strong 2025-26 campaign, a couple tweaks – a couple veterans – could be all Montreal needs to win a championship.

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