MONTREAL — Ivan Demidov's lower-body injury has sidelined the Montreal Canadiens star winger for two-to-four weeks, quickly reinforcing the value of the club's late off-season depth move for veteran Chris Kreider on a team-friendly one-year contract worth $2.15 million.
Kreider, 35, has made an immediate impression with a goal and two points in Montreal's first two games, offering cost-effective cover while Demidov recovers. The Canadiens have approximately $1.9 million in salary cap space remaining, and that flexibility could grow if Demidov's absence extends, leaving general manager Kent Hughes well placed to be judicious and to consider a major swing at the trade deadline.
Hughes still had to sell Kreider on his role after the winger more-or-less fell into Montreal's lap, but at $2.15 million the acquisition was regarded as a gift for a side that were riding high after a strong 2025-26 campaign. Father Time remains undefeated and Kreider's effectiveness will tailspin at some point, yet his experience as a playoff warrior was not to be turned away. Montreal do not have the cap space or trade capital for a blockbuster — which is why they lost out on new Toronto Maple Leafs star winger Kirill Marchenko — but Hughes has created enough room to bring in help later in the year.
The best-case scenario remains a return in 14 days for Demidov, though the Canadiens are braced for the timeline to drag for a few weeks and potentially bleed into a month and beyond. By being patient and opportunistic rather than pushing to the upper limit of the cap immediately, Montreal have positioned themselves to be players on the trade market if further injuries strike, with a couple of veteran tweaks potentially all that is required to mount a championship push.