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Montreal Canadiens’ Shocking New Pick Will Change Everything
If Canadiens’ fans were disappointed to see their team pass on offensive talent at the 2023 draft, there was no disappointment whatsoever this time around when they picked Ivan Demidov.
I know for a fact that most Montreal Canadiens’ fans were hanging on Celine Dion’s every word when the Quebec-born music icon pronounced the name of the team’s pick at fifth-overall and for good reasons.
For years, the Habs faithful have been starved for offense, they’ve wanted to see their teams score some goals rather than marveling at Carey Price’s saves and hoping for the best at the other end of the ice. When Kent Hughes took over as general manager, he gave everyone hope when he said that in an ideal world, his Canadiens would be a fast, offensive minded team.
While he did draft Juraj Slafkovsky first-overall in 2022, at the 2023 draft, he opted for a right-shot defenseman in David Reinbacher rather than for another forward in what was described as a deep draft up front.
Why the Canadiens Drafted Demidov
There’s a gaping hole on Montreal’s top-six right now and you don’t have to look very far to realize Ivan Demidov was picked to fill it. For a GM who’s been trading two years in a row to find some help on his top-lines, having such a talented player available at fifth-overall must have felt like a dream come true.
In their post draft media availability co-directors of scouting Martin Lapointe and Nick Bobrov were very happy with the Demidov pick, calling him the “steal of the draft.” Bobrov added he believed the young Russians’ ceiling is “very, very high” and the team had known about him for quite some time because of his dad’s role with the SKA St. Petersburgh.
As for GM Hughes, he said in his comments after the first round that the young Russian had been on their radar for a long time and he was part of the reason why they passed on Matvei Michkov. Montreal essentially bet Demidov would be available when they would pick at the 2024 draft and they cashed-in. Lapointe also seemed quite confident their first pick would be NHL ready after playing his last season in Russia.
If Demidov arrives in Montreal and becomes everything the organization hopes he will be, the Canadiens’ fans should get ready to jump out of their seats when he picks up the puck.
The Latest on Demidov
Unfortunately for Canadiens’ fans, Demidov could not attend the development camp as he didn’t have a visa, but that might not have been the only reason. With the TVA Sports panel after being drafted, the newly drafted prospect had mentioned he was still nursing an ankle injury but added he hoped to be back on the ice in a week or a bit more.
However, SKA St. Petersburg’s development camp has now started and Demidov is nowhere to be seen on the videos the team has released. He is however on the list of players attending camp. A few reasons could explain his early absence, the ankle could be taking a bit more time to heal or, and this one is pure speculation on my part, perhaps the Canadiens are trying to negotiate with the Russian team to free the right winger from the last year of his contract.
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-USA TODAY Sports
Yesterday Dobber Hockey reported that the Carolina Hurricanes should be terminating Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract to allow him to go play with the SKA while the St. Petersburg’s team would be terminating Alexander Nikishin’s contract so he can join the Carolina outfit.
While the Canadiens do not have a player the Russian outfit is after, one can hope it would be receptive to a cold, hard cash offer. Whatever the reason for his absence, it will be an interesting story to follow in the coming days.
Whenever Demidov comes over to the North America you be sure he’ll have an Upper Deck issued rookie card and that it will be highly sought after, just like rookies of years past some of which can still be acquired on Upper Deck ePack. Collect trading cards of your favorite hockey players at anytime and anywhere with Upper Deck e-Pack! Grow your collection by opening packs and trade with others.
