Prospect Info: [2024 - 5th] Ivan Motherbleeping Demidov (RW), SKA St. Petersburg (MHL)

[Kennerback]

There's a group of Habs fans who just can't accept that the Habs didn't take Michkov because they preferred Reinbacher.

This team needs an elite Forward to win a Cup. Suzuki, Caufield and Slaf, as our 1, 2, 3 doesn't cut it in any universe. Our window to get an elite Forward is now... As a trade philosophy, I would never take a D top-Five unless it's a sure-fire Cale Makar. It has nothing to do with Reinbacher, I hate Chicago's Levshunov decision just as much.

So passing on Michkov, you need a plan. Reinbacher with no elite Forward for the next decade gets us no Cup, no matter how good is Reinbacher... No matter what problems I have with Michkov, he's an elite Forward. You need to gamble that despite him being a jerk, he can fill the role you need, just like fellow uber-jerk bad attitude multiple Cup winner Claude Lemieux.

I have no personal attachment to Michkov, in fact I don't find him likeable at all, and I'm OK passing on him if we could get that elite forward otherwise.

 

[billy piton]

Why do you guys keep calling it SKA…..it’s CKA

I don’t get why they half translate the name to English lol

in russian alphabet "c" is "s". so cka is really ska, while cska (moscow) is цcka in russian,

 

[417]

This team needs an elite Forward to win a Cup. Suzuki, Caufield and Slaf, as our 1, 2, 3 doesn't cut it in any universe. Our window to get an elite Forward is now... As a trade philosophy, I would never take a D top-Five unless it's a sure-fire Cale Makar. It has nothing to do with Reinbacher, I hate Chicago's Levshunov decision just as much.

Why? Are they an elite forward from winning the Cup now?

So passing on Michkov, you need a plan. Reinbacher with no elite Forward for the next decade gets us no Cup, no matter how good is Reinbacher... No matter what problems I have with Michkov, he's an elite Forward. You need to gamble that despite him being a jerk, he can fill the role you need, just like fellow uber-jerk bad attitude multiple Cup winner Claude Lemieux.

But if they preferred Reinbacher, that’s what they needed to do.

They just don’t rate Michkov as highly as you do. Whether or not that evaluation was the right one remains to be seen, but it’s just crazy to me how people just refuse to accept it.

I have no personal attachment to Michkov, in fact I don't find him likeable at all, and I'm OK passing on him if we could get that elite forward otherwise.

Fairs.

 

[BergevinBurner]

Only a bit over a year until we see him playing for Montreal

 

[Kennerback]

Why? Are they an elite forward from winning the Cup now?

But if they preferred Reinbacher, that’s what they needed to do.

They just don’t rate Michkov as highly as you do. Whether or not that evaluation was the right one remains to be seen, but it’s just crazy to me how people just refuse to accept it.

Fairs.

1&2- Unless you trip on a horseshoe, the window to get an elite forward is when you suck. With all or Caufield's 30 goals and the fact we have so much offense from our Ds, this team is still 60 to 70 goals away from being a Top-5 offensive team in the NHL. It will take us years to patch up the gap to make a go at the Cup without an elite forward.

3- I probably have exactly the same problems with Michkov that the Habs brass do. But beating out the problems out of Michkov would have been better than doing the Forward patch up work for another couple of decades.

If their plan was they knew they could land Demidov one year later and they had to take the fans' abuse for a year until they get him, then drafting Reinbacher was absolutely the right decision.

 

[417]

1&2- Unless you trip on a horseshoe, the window to get an elite forward is when you suck. With all or Caufield's 30 goals and the fact we have so much offense from our Ds, this team is still 60 to 70 goals away from being a Top-5 offensive team in the NHL. It will take us years to patch up the gap to make a go at the Cup without an elite forward.

Like say Boston with Pasta? Or Dallas with Robertson? Or Florida with Tkachuk? Or Tampa with Kucherov and Point?

There’s many ways to get what you’re describing, hell that player might already be in the organization.

3- I probably have exactly the same problems with Michkov that the Habs brass do. But beating out the problems out of Michkov would have been better than doing the Forward patch up work for another couple of decades.

So not drafting Michkov means the Habs are doomed to do a forward patch up for a couple of decades?

Man, I personally can’t wait to watch this player, the way Habs fans talk about him, he’s going to be a truly transformative generational player.

If their plan was they knew they could land Demidov one year later and they had to take the fans' abuse for a year until they get him, then drafting Reinbacher was absolutely the right decision.

I don’t think they care about fans backlash and not should they. We’re supposed to be reactionary, they’re supposed to be visionary.

 

[Pacciosoftie]

I want to as well, i just don't know what number to put!

27

 

[Habs Halifax]

1&2- Unless you trip on a horseshoe, the window to get an elite forward is when you suck. With all or Caufield's 30 goals and the fact we have so much offense from our Ds, this team is still 60 to 70 goals away from being a Top-5 offensive team in the NHL. It will take us years to patch up the gap to make a go at the Cup without an elite forward.

3- I probably have exactly the same problems with Michkov that the Habs brass do. But beating out the problems out of Michkov would have been better than doing the Forward patch up work for another couple of decades.

If their plan was they knew they could land Demidov one year later and they had to take the fans' abuse for a year until they get him, then drafting Reinbacher was absolutely the right decision.

I have no personal attachment to Michkov, in fact I don't find him likeable at all, and I'm OK passing on

The main point anybody can make is Suzuki is 25 this coming season and Demidov is 18. Everyone else in the middle. 7 year spread. None of us know what our future holes are today. All we can do is facilitate development the best we can and test our players in all situations. The core and prospect pool looks so much better now than it did before this draft. We also have very high draft power coming as well.

We have a good idea on how good Suzuki and Caufield are. But we don't with Dach, Slaf, Demidov, Reinbacher, Hutson, Hage, Fowler, Mailloux, etc.

Slaf, Demidov, Dach could be stars or not. Lets not pretend one way or another that we know for sure.

 

[The Last Red]

Not that it was the choice, but I do prefer Demidov and Reinbacher to Michkov and Parekh or Yakemchuck (the two right D who would have been availabl to us at 5OA). At least in theory at this point.

 

[Kennerback]

Like say Boston with CT Pasta? Or Dallas with Robertson? Or Florida with Tkachuk? Or Tampa with Kucherov and Point?

There’s many ways to get what you’re describing, hell that player might already be in the organization.

So not drafting Michkov means the Habs are doomed to do a forward patch up for a couple of decades?

Man, I personally can’t wait to watch this player, the way Habs fans talk about him, he’s going to be a truly transformative generational player.

I don’t think they care about fans backlash and not should they. We’re supposed to be reactionary, they’re supposed to be visionary.

Just so I’m clear, I prefer Demidov and Reinbacher to Demidov and Michkov. It’s just that everything would have been smoother if the drafts would have been inverted.

 

[417]

Just so I’m clear, I prefer Demidov and Reinbacher to Demidov and Michkov. It’s just that everything would have been smoother if the drafts would have been inverted.

But how do you know this when none of the players have really done anything?

 

[Jaynki]

Frustrated fans in 2023 : We have passed on Michkov for a defenseman and next year is full of good defenseman.

Same frustrated fans in 2024 : Hugo are just lucky they got Demidov. Like they could have predicted having him a year before.

Surprise, surprise

 

[Gally11]

But how do you know this when none of the players have really done anything?

People can have preferences all they want based on what players have done so far, no one has guaranteed that this option will be better they just have a feeling that it might be. Sounds like you feel otherwise which is entirely your right, we just have to hope you’re wrong lol

 

[Kennerback]

But how do you know this when none of the players have really done anything?

We live in a cap world. Sometimes too many stars can be a problem. With Demidov, Michkov becomes superfluous for me. This team has a good chemistry, trying to integrate and exploit a bad apple when you don’t need to is pointless. It still makes sense for the Flyers.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Only a bit over a year until we see him playing for Montreal

Tfw you’ll never see Helenius make his NHL debut in a Habs jersey

 

[morhilane]

Frustrated fans in 2023 : We have passed on Michkov for a defenseman and next year is full of good defenseman.

Same frustrated fans in 2024 : Hugo are just lucky they got Demidov. Like they could have predicted having him a year before.

Surprise, surprise

Turns out the "year full of good defensemen" had a single D taken in the top 6 and Michkov think the Flyers are actually the Flayers...

 

[417]

People can have preferences all they want based on what players have done so far, no one has guaranteed that this option will be better they just have a feeling that it might be. Sounds like you feel otherwise which is entirely your right, we just have to hope you’re wrong lol

I have no clue to be honest. I just don’t get the constant twerking for Michkov.

It’s obsessive at this point.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

Most underlooked thing about Demidov is that he seems like he's captain material. From the way he plays the game, and how impressive he was in interviews, doing it all in english without translator.

Just another stand up kid added to the locker room. Feel like we will have the tightest group in the entire league.

 

[417]

We live in a cap world. Sometimes too many stars can be a problem. With Demidov, Michkov becomes superfluous for me. This team has a good chemistry, trying to integrate and exploit a bad apple when you don’t need to is pointless. It still makes sense for the Flyers.

There exists a world where the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphian Flyers, are both happy with what they’ve done.

 

[Jaynki]

There exists a world where the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphian Flyers, are both happy with what they’ve done.

Hell, Flyers is doing blunder after blunder. (apart Michkov)

Imagine getting Buium but finally not selecting him for a f***ing 3rd RD pick in 2025, in the name of having Emil Andrae, Cam York(another blunder you say?) and Jamie Drysdale (another huge blunder).

I mean, Luchanko is good but thats a blunder.

Michael Buffer was awesome tho. In my opinion, he had the best presentation. Celine was 2nd to him.

The next logical things to come from the Philadelphia Flyers is probably ruining their relationship with Michkov because Tortorella and commitment and toughness.

 

[Kennerback]

There exists a world where the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphian Flyers, are both happy with what they’ve done.

I much prefer Demidov. He’s a much more complete player. He’s a hard worker and a team guy. If, Michkov gets 5 to 10 points more, you still go Demidov. The goal is to win the Cup, not get more points.

 

[417]

I much prefer Demidov. He’s a much more complete player. He’s a hard worker and a team guy. If, Michkov gets 5 to 10 points more, you still go Demidov. The goal is to win the Cup, not get more points.

I really don’t know enough about either player to say otherwise.

Time will tell I suppose.

 

[ReimanSum1908]

Hell, Flyers is doing blunder after blunder. (apart Michkov)

Imagine getting Buium but finally not selecting him for a f***ing 3rd RD pick in 2025,

An egregious error to be sure - one that matches Montreal's last year; Buium's slide in the draft will be discussed alongside that of Fowler in 2010.

 

[Jaynki]

An egregious error to be sure - one that matches Montreal's last year; Buium's slide in the draft will be discussed alongside that of Fowler in 2010.

Well maybe i am missing something with his slide. Good comparison with Cam Fowler.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Turns out Sennecke and Iggy were close after all and in a close waive to Demidov. I had Sennecke outside of this slightly but I understand what the Ducks see. My evaluation on Sennecke was off. I had him 8-12 range. But spot on with Demidov and Iggy.

I'm not surprised the forwards got just as much or more attention than the D. Have we learned any lessons on this? Deep D draft and you must take BPA (D!) . That's for the gullible types in case you didn't notice. Must have said it 20 times or more. I see a lot of top 4D and a lot of top 6F. Not all of those D will be top pairing. I see equal chance at hitting on a top pairing D vs a top line F. Many teams seen it the same obviously.

I still wanted Iggy really bad, but would have picked Demidov after I seen his height/weight.