There’s a lot to like about top Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov. From his offensive prowess to his elite vision, the forward possesses the type of skill set that could lead him to becoming a game-changing presence in the NHL, which is exactly what the team needs most as they attempt to round the corner and take the next step in their rebuild.
Fans will have to be patient, as Demidov still has one year left on his deal with SKA Saint-Petersburg, however, he is expected to make his way to North American once the season is over, and he feels ready for a step-up in competition. To accomplish this, he will need to hit the ground running when the KHL season begins in less than a week, a situation that will be helped along if he’s given as much ice time as possible. Of course, he will have to earn that ice time by proving to the team that his play in the MHL last season was not a fluke.
Demidov suited up as Russia’s captain for their Under-23 team on Thursday, facing the very team that he’s hoping to play for this season. And while SKA took the early lead, it was Demidov who eventually won the game for his home country thanks to a pair of fantastic goals that gave us evidence of his elite hand-eye coordination, as well as his innate scoring instincts.
The game-tying goal was the result of Demidov stripping the puck from one of his potential teammates, and then quickly pushing the play up the ice, where he sold his no-shot to perfection. I’m sure some will suggest he did not intend on scoring in this manner, but the fact of the matter is that he put together an excellent play that confused the goaltender to the point that he had no idea where the puck ended up.
He then followed it up with a relatively straight-forward game-winning goal in the shootout, displaying his good release and pinpoint accuracy. Demidov’s goal-scoring is far from his greatest asset, but it’s quite apparent he has the right tools in place to find the back of the net when the opportunity arises.
