At the end of the season, we got a taste of Ivan Demidov with the Canadiens. The talented young Russian forward only played a handful of games in Montreal, but already we could see the talent coming out of his ears.
He wasn’t quite ready for the NHL, and that’s perfectly normal. But having had a taste of it, he’s better prepared for the season ahead.
That said, in 2025-26, Demidov will spend the entire season in Montreal. We’ll have the chance to see him shine for 82 games… and, above all, to see just how much he has the potential to change everything in Montreal.
Because yes, Demidov has that kind of potential. And in a text on the NHL website, where they present the players most likely to explode in 2025-26, Mike Morreale names Demidov and adds this about him:
Some see [Ivan Demidov] becoming the next Nikita Kucherov. – Mike Morreale
Kucherov is unquestionably one of the NHL’s best forwards, with 113, 144 and 121 points respectively in his last three seasons. He’s one of the best playmakers of his generation and has an almost unrivalled offensive flair.
He’s almost indisputably one of the top five forwards on the Bettman circuit, after all.
And that just goes to show how much potential Demidov has as a young player. There are ways for him to have a great career without necessarily becoming as dominant as Kucherov, but he has the potential to become that kind of player.
It’s not for nothing that he’s the stuff of dreams in Montreal, after all.
In the same article, Zachary Bolduc is also mentioned as a player who could explode in 2025-26. Shawn P. Roarke, who chatted about Bolduc, sees him taking a step forward into a bigger role in Montreal.
He wouldn’t be surprised to see him reach the 25-goal plateau.
So, there’s reason to be excited about Montreal’s young group of forwards, but Demidov will undoubtedly be the most talked-about guy in the coming months. He’s a special talent the likes of which the Canadiens have rarely seen in recent years.
And if he reaches the level of a Nikita Kucherov, the Habs will really, really be on the road.
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