Demidov’s skating isn’t actually a strength at all. He doesn’t have top-end speed and his stride can use a lot of refinement. Edge work is decent.
From what I’ve seen and read, he seems to be fine with physical play. I know he’s not going to throw his body around and power through defenders, but I don’t feel he’s a perimeter player at all. Whether he becomes one in the NHL remains to be seen.
From the video I have watched, I think his skating is very good. Not sure about the top end speed but I do think his edge work and cross overs is top notch.
If he was OK with the physical play, I think he plays more than 4 KHL games last year. This area is just not easy to predict. We really don't have a good sample size of that because I think the MHL is not physical at all. I personally am not going to go out of my way to find reasons of supporting Demidov being a physical player.
Not saying he is a red flag and we shouldn't draft him, just trying to nail down what type of player he is and will be. I remember talking about Slaf and his puck possession and some gullible fans tried to tell me Slaf was a puck possession winger. Well, he wasn't but the good news is he might be... Because why? He's working very hard at it after the draft. The gains players make after the draft are massive in terms of who develops well and who doesn't.
As the years go by and we learn more (as pretender scouts), I realize that those D+ years are massive. You hear it from all the stars when they talk about the commitment to improving. Ability to overcome challenges along the way. When I look at a player like Iginla, I think that he is that type. Always wanting to improve and become better than others. I'm not sure with Demidov but he's high on my list regardless.