Canadiens Top Prospect Excelling in KHL

One of the Montreal Canadiens top prospects is having an excellent start to his season in Europe.

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Ivan Demidov is selected with the 5th overall pick of the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens selected a potential future superstar when they chose forward Ivan Demidov in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Russian scorer has sky-high potential, and he's currently plying his trade in the KHL with a powerhouse team in SKA St. Petersburg. He hopes to become the next young piece of a growing group of impressive players in Montreal.

As an 18-year-old forward, the Canadiens prospect is playing a sheltered role in the KHL. St. Petersburg is a juggernaut in Europe, with a bevy of former NHL players in their lineup. Demidov has been playing mostly in a bottom-six role, but he's already showing just how impressive he is despite limited minutes.

Through 16 games, Demidov has five goals and nine points. Again, this might not scream superstar at first glance, but a reminder that he is doing this in a reduced role as a teenager in the second best professional league in the world. Elite Prospects projects that Demidov should finish the season with 20 goals or more. That would put him in a category all by himself, becoming possibly the highest goal scorer in KHL history as a teenager.

For the Canadiens, the only thing that matters is Demidov's continued development before arriving in Montreal. And that's exactly what SKA St. Petersburg believe they are doing with the young forward.

RG.org recently spoke with Demidov's couch in Russia, Roman Rotenberg, to discuss Demidov's development and his impressions of the rookie winger. One of things RG.org writer Marco D'Amico asked him about was if there were any plans to send Demidov to one of the KHL's secondary leagues to receive more ice-time. Rotenberg played that sentiment down.

“Any option is possible," Rotenberg said. "But right now, Ivan is playing on our main team. He’s working with a roster that contains players of the highest level, guys from whom he can learn a lot. The competition will only make him better.

Rotenberg was also extremely complimentary of the work Demidov has put in. He pointed to the training he put in during the offseason as critical to his early success this season.

"He trained extremely well during the summer," he said. "And we saw the results of his efforts at the start of the campaign. Our work with Ivan is going to start paying off.”

The Canadiens should be thrilled to see and hear this update. While they would prefer Demidov play top-six minutes, he's clearly receiving attention and teaching geared towards making him better. That hard-working motor he's developing will only help him once he does officially make the jump to North America and the Montreal lineup.

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