Plot twist for Ivan Demidov: With the Canadiens this season?

However, Demidov is still under contract in Russia for another year, making his arrival in 2024-25 unlikely.

Yesterday, the KHL disassociated itself from the IIHF and came under the control of the Russian Hockey Federation, granting players more freedom to join the NHL.

According to Marc Dumont of MontrealHockeyNow, the NHL and KHL can now negotiate player transfers directly.

In theory, the Canadiens could start discussions with SKA to bring Demidov to North America right away.

If SKA reduces his playing time, this option would become more attractive. The changes in Russia also affect other Canadiens prospects like Bogdan Konyushkov and Yevgeni Volokhin.

The impact of these new measures remains to be seen.