If you asked a hockey fan a week ago who the best player outside of the NHL is, you’d get a bunch of respectable answers. One name that may come up is Ivan Demidov, who Chicago Blackhawks fans may know well.
Demidov was in the mix to be selected second overall by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Draft. Instead, however, Chicago ended up taking defenseman Artyom Levshunov out of Michigan State University. Demidov ended up falling to the Montreal Canadiens at five.
In 2024-25, playing for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, Demidov had 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points in 65 games played. That is a great total for a KHL forward who isn’t even 20 years old yet.
Whether Demidov is a center or wing in the NHL remains to be seen, but he is a shifty/highly skilled offensive powerhouse. His ceiling is an elite-level producer.
On Tuesday, it became official that the Canadiens would be signing Demidov to his entry level deal. There was some uncertainty there as he was signed to a KHL contract. Ultimately, Demidov and St. Petersburg decided to part ways so he can pursue his dream of playing in the NHL.
It is unclear when Demidov is expected to arrive in Montreal, but they are likely going to be playing in the playoffs, so he will help them there. He should also get some time in the regular season before the postseason begins.
Next Monday (April 14th), the Blackhawks will be in Montreal to take on the Canadiens. This means that Levshunov and Demidov could face off in the NHL for the first time. After all of the dialogue comparing these two ahead of their draft, there will be some excitement surrounding their first matchup.
Demidov has everything he needs entering his first stretch of NHL hockey. Montreal is winning a ton of games, they are likely going to the playoffs, and their building is incredible this time of year when the team is good.
Young players like Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, among others, will be perfect to surround a player like Ivan Demidov. They will create hockey magic together for a long time.
How will they compare with the Blackhawks' young core? It is hard to tell right now because Chicago is a year or two behind in terms of the rebuild process, but they should play a good game against each other. If Demidov does live up to the hype, the Habs are getting a consequential player at the most important time.
