Confirmed rumor for Ivan Demidov and bad news for the Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens were thrilled to be able to select Ivan Demidov, who was still available, with the 5th pick in the last draft.
Despite his contractual situation in Russia, Kent Hughes never hesitated to focus on the promising forward.
At the time the Tricolore selected Demidov, the plan regarding where he would play in 2024-2025 was not yet clear.
Finally, everything seems confirmed. Ivan Demidov is set to play in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg next season.
The coach of the team, Roman Rotenberg, confirmed this information in an interview with the Russian media outlet "MatchTV."
"I had a Zoom discussion for an hour and a half with representatives from the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Martin St-Louis was not present, but special advisor to hockey operations Vincent Lecavalier, the club president, the general manager, and all the executives were there.
"We discussed Demidov, everything was thoroughly discussed. It was a very positive conversation about how we will develop Ivan at SKA. There wasn't even a conversation about him leaving for Canada now. That's fake news. Maybe even Russian journalists are exaggerating this idea."
Some fans and perhaps even some Canadiens executives had doubts about the playing time and opportunities that young Demidov could have with such a prominent organization in the KHL.
His development could potentially suffer as a result, being a forward in full development. However, the SKA coach reassured the Canadiens about this:
"The truth is that Montreal and I have a joint plan for Demidov's development. Our task is for Ivan to have his best season in the KHL. And here, much depends not only on the coach but also on the player himself. Nikita Zaitsev, Mikhail Grigorenko, Sergei Plotnikov have joined us at SKA... We have a very strong team. And this will benefit Demidov. Adult teammates will help Vanya on the ice and in life. He will gain invaluable experience that will help him in the future."
However, Demidov's agreement with SKA St. Petersburg only lasts one more season. Therefore, it is easy to assume that the Canadiens prospect will join the Montreal organization for the 2025-2026 campaign.
| POLL |
24 JUILLET | 114 ANSWERS Confirmed rumor for Ivan Demidov and bad news for the Canadiens Will Ivan Demidov be a bigger scorer than Cole Caufield? |
| Yes | 96 | 84.2 % |
| No | 18 | 15.8 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
|
Sep 11 | By Mike Bouchard Cole Caufield has a new nickname |
|
Sep 11 | By Mike Bouchard Everything suggests that Kent Hughes is about to trade a former first-round pick |
|
Sep 10 | By Guillaume Bergeron Is Justin Barron about to leave the Canadiens for a high draft pick? |
|
Sep 10 | By Guillaume Bergeron Kaiden Guhle was involved in an accident that could have been very damaging |
|
Sep 10 | By Guillaume Bergeron Alex Newhook has a major and special request for Martin St-Louis and the Canadiens |
|
Sep 10 | By Mike Bouchard The Canadiens add a goaltender to their camp |
|
Sep 10 | By Mike Bouchard Signing alert for Max Pacioretty |
|
Sep 10 | By Mike Bouchard Several intriguing young players are expected to be placed on waivers, and the Habs could benefit from this |
HABSLATEST.COM
COPYRIGHT @2025 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TERMS -
POLICIES
