It’s no secret the Montreal Canadiens continue to search for the solution to their most pressing roster issue.
As it stands, the team has a legitimate top line which happens to have elite potential, a stark contrast to the situation on the second line.
Thursday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs was a reminder that the Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine, and Ivan Demidov combination has a good amount of work to be done before it can make a positive impact on a nightly basis.
Some of it has to do with perception, including turnovers from Laine that lead to terrible optics. On that note, the second line performed better than many would assume, but the fact remains that they only managed to control 46 percent of the shots against a Leafs roster that lacked high-end talent. To be perfectly fair, it’s a small sample size. If the second line had managed to produce one more shot, they would have finished the night with a 50 percent control of 5v5 shots, but the problem goes beyond a forgettable preseason game.
Stylistically speaking, Laine and Demidov are polar opposites. Laine takes a more methodical, deliberate approach, whereas Demidov, like many young players looking to make their mark in the NHL, tends to push the pace, taking advantage of his silky hands to quickly open passing lanes in the offensive zone, or to generate precious controlled entries off the rush.
It’s not an issue on the powerplay, where inertia works to their advantage, however, it’s yet to produce encouraging numbers at 5v5.
Great hands by Ivan Demidov on the powerplay leads to a Patrik Laine one-timer goal. 3-2. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/S48366N0Lj
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 26, 2025
Patience Is In Order, Again
The situation is further complicated by Dach’s recent injury issues, not to mention Demidov’s lack of NHL experience. They simply haven’t had a chance to build much chemistry, regardless of the stylistic mismatch on paper.
The Montreal Canadiens cannot afford to lose Laine’s powerplay prowess, that much is clear, but the odds they’ll be able to qualify for the playoffs are hindered by the lack of 5v5 success on the second line.
There are options, including using Laine as a special teams player, first and foremost, reducing his even-strength ice time in a bid to keep him fresh for the powerplay. Montreal could also look to Zachary Bolduc, a player who is a much better fit on paper alongside a player with Demidov’s particular skill set. Bolduc is a little more adept at retrieving pucks and forcing turnovers, an area of weakness for the current second line.
It may not work in the long run, connoting that changes will eventually be necessary, but don’t be surprised if Martin St-Louis is in no hurry to shake things up.
One poor showing in a preseason game doesn’t change the fact that the lack of chemistry between Demidov, Laine, and Dach can only be solved by giving them more opportunities to gain crucial experience playing together.