Predicting Ivan Demidov’s Role With the Canadiens

Habs fans received incredible news today when Ivan Demidov and SKA St. Petersburg terminated their contract, giving the young forward the chance to sign and finish the season with the Montreal Canadiens. An unexpected but very positive report for the Canadiens in their playoff push.

The Canadiens’ top prospect was still under contract with SKA until May 31, and there was no indication that the team would release him like they did. It was first reported that St. Petersburg wanted to try to save face and at least get a championship in the VHL or MHL before letting Demidov walk.

In 65 games this season, Demidov scored 19 goals and finished the season with 49 points in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was SKA’s leader in points and only one goal behind Mikhail Grigorenko. With his 49 points, he also set a KHL record for most points in a season by a player under age 20. The previous record was held by none other than Kirill Kaprizov.

What Role Will Demidov Have?

The early indication points to an immediate top-six role for Demidov. The Habs have played a couple of wingers alongside Alex Newhook and Patrik Laine and there is a fit there. He is a solid offensive contributor and, more importantly, a great distributor. He could find success right away with a goal-scoring machine like Laine.

Even though it is easy to already see Demidov on the second line, don’t be surprised if we see him on the fourth line at least in his first few shifts or games. The Canadiens have two lines that are pretty set. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slakovsky will still be together, while we can also expect to see Brendan Gallagher, Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson play on the same line. Demidov could start on a fourth line with Jake Evans and Joel Armia while Emil Heineman stays with Newhook and Laine.

It will also be interesting to see if, and if so, where Demidov could play on the power play. At the moment of writing those lines, the Canadiens have the 19^th best power play in the NHL with a 20.8% success rate. Demidov could bring some help at 5v4 but don’t expect him to come in right away on that first power-play wave. He should have the opportunity to play on the second wave and get a couple of minutes there.

What Kind of Impact Can We Expect?

The addition of Demidov to the Canadiens’ roster brings a lot of potential, but we need to be realistic about what we can expect in the short term. His first few games will be crucial in helping him adapt to the team’s system and the intensity of NHL competition. As a player who has shown promise, it’s clear that Demidov has the talent to make an impact, but he will need time to find his rhythm and build chemistry with his new teammates.