Ivan Demidov Will Transform Canadiens’ Offense 

The Montreal Canadiens have many needs: a second-line center, a top-pair right-handed defenseman, and a top-quality starting goaltender. While many of those pieces could be found in the teams’ prospect pipeline, the one glaring need that they almost assuredly have is for an elite offensive forward.

Related: Canadiens Should No Longer Be Just Sellers at This Year’s Trade Deadline  

The rebuild being steered by general manager (GM) Kent Hughes has been able to accumulate many top assets, yet it was by the luck of the draw that he added a transformative offensive player. Fifth overall at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, he took Ivan Demidov. His addition will transform the Canadiens’ offence and make it one of the NHL’s most potent.   

Demidov’s Never-Ending Comparisons 

For the second time this season, Demidov has been named the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) Rookie of the Month after scoring six points (four goals, two assists) in seven games in December. The SKA St-Petersburg winger now has 12 goals and 17 assists in 39 games played. 

Ivan Demidov SKA Saint Petersburg
Ivan Demidov, SKA Saint Petersburg (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

It makes sense that Demidov and Matvei Michkov will be compared by the Montreal fanbase. Both players are Russian, wingers, and offensively gifted. But they approach the game differently. The decision to select Demidov is seen as a boon for the Canadiens. But also as a way to replace the scoring that could have been, despite all of the reporting stating it was Michkov orchestrating his slide to the Flyers. Elliotte Friedman confirmed on the Dec. 20, 2023, episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast that it was Michkov’s decision to steer clear of Montreal and align with the Flyers.

However, it is useful to compare the two as they will have similar growing pains in the NHL. Michkov’s offensive game is evident, but it is the adjustments to playing a two-way style, to playing on a smaller ice surface, which cause growing pains. This leads to needing to make plays much faster and deal with the physicality the lack of space brings. He even points to this as his major hurdle, stating “I need to learn how to ensure I have the energy to play at 100% every game. NHL rinks are smaller, the pace is faster, and decisions need to be made more quickly. I’m still adjusting to this.”

Even though Demidov will have a period of adjustment, similar to his fellow Russian forward, it is clear that he has similar if not more offensive skill. Since the visit with the Canadiens management team in Russia back in December, head coach Roman Rotenberg has moved Demidov from a healthy scratch/fourth-line rotation to playing in a top-line role. Canadiens fans don’t care if management needed to bribe his KHL coach or not, they’re excited to see him getting an opportunity that he had arguably earned on his own. This move increases his ice time from five minutes in some games to over 18 minutes, and since that promotion, he has delivered multiple-point games in each appearance, scoring six goals and three assists in the five games since that visit. 

Demidov’s Future Impact 

Offensively, Demidov is averaging 3.82 points per 60 minutes, which leads the KHL. Continuing the comparison to Michkov, he averaged 3.25 points per 60 minutes (which was impressive) last year at the same age. The fact that Demidov also has played over 100 fewer minutes on the power play (PP), makes his offensive output in the KHL that much more incredible.  

Defensive adjustments will be expected, but it shouldn’t be a long-term project as Demidov is already defensively responsible. While the plus/minus statistic isn’t definitive, it does point to his ability to play defensively, and well enough to lead the KHL in that statistic as of Jan 4. He’s efficient at reading the opponent’s play development and reacting quickly to exploit any errors with an aggressive narrowing of the gap, an active stick, and then a sudden change of direction.

He’s always in motion, using his edges to maintain momentum to remain in a good defensive posture. He consistently remains an ideal option for a transitional play, and in support of defensive zone exits with control. It is his compete level that sets him apart as he is willing to do whatever is necessary to regain puck possession.  

The Canadiens play a faster-paced style of game, which is well suited to Demidov, who has enough speed to take advantage of playing a quick break style in transition. He also has the size at 6-foot-0 and 192 pounds to withstand the physical aspects of the NHL game. This makes it easier to transition into playing a cycle as well. He will never be the hard forecheck and puck retrieval expert on a line, but that is a style of player he will fit in well with, and the Canadiens do have a few of those. For example, Juraj Slafkovsky and Emil Heineman are on the roster today and will mature alongside the young phenom. 

Will Demidov be a star immediately? There are some in the NHL who believe so. Eric Engels of Sportsnet met with executives during the NHL Board of Governors’ meetings and was given a glowing review. “He’s a bona fide superstar, who will arrive in Montreal and immediately make an impact,” he said, adding he thought it wouldn’t take long for the Russian forward to become the Canadiens’ best player. 

The expectation is that Demidov will transform the Canadiens’ offence. This is still highly needed, even after the addition of Patrik Laine. Without the Finnish forward in the lineup, even if Montreal can get 40 shots on goal, they can have difficulty scoring as seen in their loss to the Chicago Blackhawks (Jan. 3), where they had a season-high output in shots on net, but couldn’t solve goaltender Arvid Soderblom. Also, despite going one for three on the PP, the Canadiens were disorganized with the man advantage as they could not get set in the zone, or provide an opportunity for a game-changing shooter the time to get a shot off. 

Demidov will have an immediate impact on the Canadiens, and while fans will need to remain cautious, especially with their expectations of the young Russian, they have every right to be excited. With the team taking a step forward this season, albeit a small one, his arrival next season could be the missing piece to take the leap into becoming a playoff team.

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