If you ask around the Montreal Canadiens fanbase, they will speak of the bright future ahead for the organization. The thanks for that can be directed at Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton and the team's scouting group. They have put together a nice group of future hopefuls, with Ivan Demidov standing out at the top and Jacob Fowler not far behind.
Demidov looks like the superstar forward that the team has sought since Alex Kovalev departed from the organization. There were high hopes for Alex Galchenyuk and Nikita Scherbak before him, but Demidov looks a bit different. He oozes character, and his play in the KHL is nothing to scoff at.
Fowler looks like the next great goaltender in a long line of goalies, who were drafted by the club and provided the organization with an elite number-one goaltender for 10-plus years. Carey Price was the last goalie to give the Canadiens confidence in their net, and before him Patrick Roy. Those are some large shoes to fill, and Fowler would likely say that he is only trying to be himself, but he has high expectations set for himself.
Both prospects are very special players, and equally, they are essential for what the Canadiens are looking to do going forward. But to be mentioned by Pierre McGuire, a guy who has made a career out of his hockey analysis, as two of the top five non-NHL prospects, that is a huge compliment. There are some impressive players not yet in the NHL, as McGuire mentioned, and he feels the two future Habs' hopefuls belong in the mix.
Is 2025-2026 when they will arrive?
There is almost a unanimous belief throughout Montreal that Demidov will be at training camp to start the 2025-26 campaign. His contract with St. Petersburg SKA expires and he was adamant that Montreal is where he wants to be. So, with that, there are high hopes that he will be with the Habs to start next season.
As for Fowler, I think he would be best suited to coming over when he feels it's best for him, and Habs' management isn't about to rush such an important player. But if he gets in for his sophomore season and picks up where he left off last season, I think it would leave little argument that he is ready to graduate from the NCAA. I think that he will need a little time with the Laval Rocket to adjust to the professional game like Carey Price did with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
I think Fowler will arrive a little later than Demidov and understandably so, he is a goalie and they are infamous for taking a bit longer. But Demidov is playing in one of the best leagues outside of the NHL, so I expect that he will be close to ready for the NHL. An adjustment will be required for both players, maybe even in the AHL, but I think they will both be ready at the start of next season to play in new situations.
