Canadiens: Are Expectations Too High For Ivan Demidov?

When Ivan Demidov joined the Montreal Canadiens last season, there was a lot of excitement around town; you could feel it in the Bell Centre when he played his first game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Thankfully, he didn’t “pull a Ryan Poehling”. When the 25th overall pick of the 2017 draft joined the Habs, he scored a hat trick and the game-winner in the shootout, making fans overly excited for what the youngster could offer.

In his first game, Demidov scored a single goal, writing the perfect script for the fans. He showed flashes of his talent but didn’t set himself up for a fall. The man was the fifth-overall pick at the 2024 draft, and he could have been picked higher had it not been for the socio-political context. That alone is sufficient to raise expectations, and deservedly so.

For years, the Canadiens were a middle-of-the-pack team that would draft in the lower end of the first round, and as a result, they lacked very impactful picks. By the time it was their turn to take to the stage, the real considerable offensive talents were already off the board, until 2019, that is, when Cole Caufield fell to 15th overall because he wasn’t tall enough in most teams’ books.

When Caufield came over after two years with the Wisconsin Badgers, there was a lot of hype and excitement, and it was fully deserved. When a player has that kind of pedigree, it’s just normal. Demidov was a high draft pick, and despite limited ice-time in the KHL, he managed to break a record that Kirill Kaprisov had set. It’s therefore quite logical that people are excited about this player.

There are a couple of things that will make it worse for him however. Firstly various media outlet calling him the Calder Trophy winner outright at the end of July without even knowing which rookies will make the NHL this season, it’s too early for that and all it does is raise fans expectations in an unreasonable way.

Secondly, the fact that Lane Hutson had the kind of rookie season he did has got people foaming at the mouth at the thought of seeing a Canadiens’ player win the Calder Trophy two years in a row. Hutson had an insane season, whichever way you look at it, and it will be a tough act to follow for Demidov.

However, a true professional athlete, one suited to playing in a market like Montreal, will be able to put that aside and focus on his game and his rookie season. The potential and talent are there; Demidov will be a good or great player in the NHL, but will it happen overnight? Who knows and who says it has to happen right away? Sit back, enjoy the ride, and if Demidov is in the Calder race, fantastic! If he isn’t? It won’t mean that he’s a bust; the future is bright, Habs fans. You just need to have a little more patience.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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