Ivan Demidov

September 2024 – After captaining the Russian U23 team, and scoring five points in the Puchkov pre-season tournament, Ivan Demidov officially earned a spot on Roman Rotenberg’s SKA roster in the KHL. Demidov took every opportunity possible in the pre-season tournament, his first time playing since suffering an injury in the MHL playoffs, to prove himself, and he did so in a big fashion. In each game he made highlight reel plays, including a Nikita Kucherov-esque no-shot goal, several moments of playmaking brilliance under pressure, and high-end dynamism with the puck. It is not yet known what role he will play for SKA, but things are looking very good for the fifth overall pick. The elements of his game that led to him being drafted fifth overall have not changed. His wide 10-and-2 skating stance has caught a lot of criticism recently (for valid reason), but it allows him to move in an east-west fashion extremely efficiently, which is a key part of his deceptive game. This will however possibly leave him vulnerable in the NHL. He is not necessarily fast, but he is agile and dynamic in a style that makes him seem faster than his competition. One-on-one, he is essentially unstoppable. His pivots have improved and his lower body looks noticeably stronger than before. He equally looks significantly bigger on the ice than he did last season, using his off-season recovery time to get stronger and more imposing. There is genuine physical upside in Demidov, who highlighted some of it in the Puchkov cup. Playing against men for hopefully the entire 2024-25 season will be a game-changer for his development as he can hopefully become more in tune defensively and physically. The future is bright. Aaron Itovitch

June 2024 – Ivan Demidov delighted many fans last night when Celine Dion announced he was the fifth overall selection of the Montreal Canadiens. The ultra-dynamic winger projects to be a pivotal piece in the Canadiens’ rebuild and could be a superstar for years to come. Aaron Itovitch

June 2024 – Demidov was selected 5th overall by Montreal as this time the team does not pass on the best forward prospect available. Pat Quinn

April 2024 – Ivan Demidov has been almost as close to a lock for the #2 spot on our rankings all year long as Celebrini has been at #1. He is the most dynamic, versatile, and creative handler we’ve seen come through the draft in recent years, in large part due to his mind and hands consistently functioning at the same pace, whether he ups the pace or shifts down the gears to make use of the space he creates for himself. The Russian winger has an intuitive understanding of how to create openings in defensive structures and to make the very most of them. He can take on entire defenses on his own and squeeze out one or multiple high-danger scoring chances from his incursions.

While he will still need to learn to calibrate his risk-assessment gauge when he makes the leap to professional competition, he has already begun to integrate increased give-and-go’s and use of his linemates as the MHL season has progressed. Elements of his on-puck decision-making remain raw, but his upside as a 100-point top-line winger is supported by decent off-puck and defensive engagement and lightning-quick processing of the game. Some areas of his game that will require refinement before he can fully unlock that upside include his footspeed, use of his outside edges, lower body explosiveness, and rooting himself when engaged in puck battles. His elite-level of on-puck intelligence and his trifecta of dynamic handling, playmaking, and goalscoring tools give him the foundation to become an electrifying creative force and offensive driver. (April Rankings: #2) Sebastian High

November 2023 – Ivan Demidov is the most creative, dynamic, and skillful puck handler we’ve seen since at least Jack Hughes. His seemingly innate escapability, versatile inside edges, and great mobility combine with his handling skill to consistently create scoring chances for himself and his linemates with tremendous flair. While there was little debate for us at #1, Demidov was our unanimous pick at #2, garnering support from all those who have watched him play. He breaks the mould (somewhat) of the typical skilled Russian winger, showing off an impressive motor, flashes of strong backchecking ability, and a ceaseless desire to create in all three zones. That said, against MHL competition he can go full pond hockey mode at times, trying anything and everything to see what works. On the one hand, this allows him to practice his creativity and forces him into spots where he needs to make a few consecutive quick decisions and movements to retain possession. But on the other, this style of play teaches bad habits, doesn’t at all work at higher levels, and does not benefit his NHL projection. While we still have unanswered questions (amplified by his injury) his offensive upside is unmatched in this draft class, and we are firm believers that his toolkit and brain will make his transition to the NHL a relatively smooth one when the time comes. Sebastian High (November Rankings: 2nd Overall)