Ivan Demidov Out 2-4 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

The NHL’s favorite medical mystery has struck again. The Montreal Canadiens will be without Ivan Demidov for the next two to four weeks thanks to a dreaded, completely non-specific lower-body injury.

Daily Faceoff reported the timeline on Tuesday, abruptly pulling the plug on the right winger's early October momentum. Losing a dynamic piece of the lineup is never ideal, but losing one when the season is just getting out of first gear is incredibly frustrating for a fanbase desperate for a step forward.

Montreal is coming off a chaotic 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins over the weekend, a track meet that immediately followed a tight 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Scoring goals hasn't been the issue for the Habs so far, but subtracting Demidov from the top six is going to test their depth in a hurry.

A two-to-four-week window in hockey time is basically a guessing game. He could miss a handful of matchups or sit out a solid chunk of the early-season standings race. For anyone eyeing Montreal's team totals or nightly player props, this completely shifts the math on where their offensive production is going to come from.

The Canadiens have to figure out their line combinations immediately. They host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight before the Nashville Predators roll into town on Thursday. We are about to find out if the next guy up can keep the offense humming, or if Montreal is going to spend the next month trying to win games 2-1.