Currently the captain of Russia's U23 team, Ivan Demidov will attempt to join the SKA roster, one of the top teams in the KHL.
However, if Demidov fails to make the SKA team, which is a possibility, other alternatives are being considered.
Although official regulations prohibit loans to other Russian teams, the concept of a "hidden loan" was mentioned by the Russian media outlet Sport Express. This strategy involves terminating a player's contract, allowing another team to sign him while maintaining an unofficial agreement with the original club.
However, this controversial practice is strongly discouraged by the KHL. If Demidov doesn't make the SKA roster, it might be more advantageous for SKA to negotiate with the Montreal Canadiens, allowing the young player to move to North America.
