The Canadiens Can’t Afford to Rush Ivan Demidov

Nothing’s quite like a young player getting hit in the foot by a puck and suddenly making everyone in hockey an amateur doctor. Ivan Demidov took a shot to the foot in Monday’s preseason game, and now he’s taken a second day of maintenance. He was originally expected to return to the ice Thursday, but the Canadiens are giving him a little more time to heal.

The good news is that Demidov is considered day-to-day and isn't expected to miss the start of the regular season. That’s the part Montreal fans want to hear. Because, frankly, the Canadiens need this young fellow.

Montreal Has a Lot Riding on Demidov.

Demidov is only 20, but the expectations around him are already enormous. He scored 19 goals and put up 62 points in 82 games last season, logging 127 shots on net. Then Montreal signed him to an eight-year, $73 million contract in July. That's not exactly a small vote of confidence.

The Canadiens see Demidov as a big part of where this team is going. So when he takes a puck off the foot and misses a couple of days, people will naturally pay attention. But there is a difference between paying attention and panicking. This sounds like the former. A second therapy day isn't necessarily bad news. In fact, it might be the sensible thing to do.

September Is Exactly the Time to Be Patient with Demidov.

Here's the thing about preseason: nobody remembers who scored the winning goal on September 24. They remember who was healthy when the games mattered. Demidov doesn't need to prove anything right now. Montreal already knows what it has in him. The Canadiens need that foot to settle down before they start asking him to play regular-season hockey.

And that's where this little injury becomes a bigger story. Montreal is trying to move from being an interesting young team to being a team that expects to compete every season for the Stanley Cup. Demidov will be a big part of that. If he's healthy, he gives the Canadiens another player who can create something when a game gets tight. Yes, everybody would like to see him back on the ice. But there’s no prize for winning the September rush.

Demidov Needs to Heal, and an Extra Day Will Help.

The smart move is to make sure his foot is truly ready. The Canadiens have eight years of Demidov ahead of them. A couple of September days don't matter much in the big picture. The bottom line is simple. Montreal needs Demidov healthy much more than it needs him playing preseason games.