Demidov's linemates

[The Gr8 Dane]

He drives the line—not the other way around.

There’s no debate. No argument. No room for discussion.

Delete your account and reflect on your life choices.

Some posters aren't ready for what they are about to witness.....

I get being cautious in expectations but we literally have a perfect spot for him all oiled up and ready and people want to try to reinvent the wheel.

Outside of being a "good north american pro" , Demidov has more to teach Jake Evans than the other way around lol. By quite a large margin.

If people think this kid needs to be babysat...they got another thing coming

 

[Marioesque]

This discussion wouldn't happen if Laine and Newhook were good at 5-on-5 or even considered top 6.
Laine in hist last 25 games, averaged 10:18 of ice-time at ES which the lowest for a Habs forward.

That's horrible asset management in my opinion. He's been tied to the worst line in the league that doesn't generate any chances for him and fumbles the chances he creates.

And you should not use bad asset management as a reason to continue bad asset management. Especially now that there ARE options with Demidov coming in. That line CAN be fixed.

I want Demidov on the ice as much as possible.....not sure that's going to happen in the PO with Laine next to him. Doubt he could turn Laine who's having all the trouble in the world following Newhook's speed into a weapons.

Speed is not the issue with the 2nd line. Laines top speed this season is on par with CC and Slaf.

It doesn't have a puck carrier other than Laine, and we all complain when he has to be the puck carrier because god forbid he can lose the puck when carrying it.

So their offense is either Newhook skating into the zone and losing the puck, or them dumping and Newhook going into the corner and rarely winning the 1 on 1. The times he does, they can come up with offense, but they really don't have the puck much at all because they're so disjointed. The only one actually creating good chances in that line has been Laine, but Newhook has trouble converting them unless they are tap ins from the crease.

It needs more puck control, so they can be offensive and spend more time in the opponents end. Which plays to their own strengths and avoids the weaknesses. Demidov is a puck hog who drives play and opens room for others. All Laine needs is room to shoot to be highly effective.

 

[SallyBalls]

Some posters aren't ready for what they are about to witness.....

I get being cautious in expectations but we literally have a perfect spot for him all oiled up and ready and people want to try to reinvent the wheel.

Outside of being a "good north american pro" , Demidov has more to teach Jake Evans than the other way around lol. By quite a large margin.

If people think this kid needs to be babysat...they got another thing coming

PREACH. Some of y’all have no idea what’s about to hit the ice.

Demidov isn’t some “maybe one day” prospect—he’s a walking cheat code. The runway is cleared, the system’s oiled up, and this kid’s about to take off.

And here’s the kicker: he’s not just lighting it up on his own—he’s unlocking Laine and Newhook in the process. We’re talking full-throttle offense, highlight reels on repeat, and defenders left spinning like they're in a video game cutscene.

Jake Evans? Solid dude. But let’s be honest—Demidov’s the one handing out the playbook now.

Babysit? Nah. This isn’t daycare. This is ignition. Strap in or step aside.

 

[SallyBalls]

That's horrible asset management in my opinion. He's been tied to the worst line in the league that doesn't generate any chances for him and fumbles the chances he creates.

And you should not use bad asset management as a reason to continue bad asset management. Especially now that there ARE options with Demidov coming in. That line CAN be fixed.


Speed is not the issue with the 2nd line. Laines top speed this season is on par with CC and Slaf.

It doesn't have a puck carrier other than Laine, and we all complain when he has to be the puck carrier because god forbid he can lose the puck when carrying it.

So their offense is either Newhook skating into the zone and losing the puck, or them dumping and Newhook going into the corner and rarely winning the 1 on 1. The times he does, they can come up with offense, but they really don't have the puck much at all because they're so disjointed. The only one actually creating good chances in that line has been Laine, but Newhook has trouble converting them unless they are tap ins from the crease.

It needs more puck control, so they can be offensive and spend more time in the opponents end. Which plays to their own strengths and avoids the weaknesses. Demidov is a puck hog who drives play and opens room for others. All Laine needs is room to shoot to be highly effective.

This guy gets it.

 

[SallyBalls]

That's horrible asset management in my opinion. He's been tied to the worst line in the league that doesn't generate any chances for him and fumbles the chances he creates.

And you should not use bad asset management as a reason to continue bad asset management. Especially now that there ARE options with Demidov coming in. That line CAN be fixed.


Speed is not the issue with the 2nd line. Laines top speed this season is on par with CC and Slaf.

It doesn't have a puck carrier other than Laine, and we all complain when he has to be the puck carrier because god forbid he can lose the puck when carrying it.

So their offense is either Newhook skating into the zone and losing the puck, or them dumping and Newhook going into the corner and rarely winning the 1 on 1. The times he does, they can come up with offense, but they really don't have the puck much at all because they're so disjointed. The only one actually creating good chances in that line has been Laine, but Newhook has trouble converting them unless they are tap ins from the crease.

It needs more puck control, so they can be offensive and spend more time in the opponents end. Which plays to their own strengths and avoids the weaknesses. Demidov is a puck hog who drives play and opens room for others. All Laine needs is room to shoot to be highly effective.

This isn’t hard: they need puck control. They need someone who can drive the play, not just chase it. Give them a real puck carrier—like Demidov—and suddenly you’ve got zone time, actual possession, and a chance to use Laine and Newhook for what they’re good at instead of forcing them to do things they can’t.

Continuing with the current setup is like watching someone trip over the same rock 30 times and then defending it because “that’s just the route.” No—it’s time to change the damn route.

You’ve got a player in Demidov who thrives with the puck on his stick, can carry through traffic, manipulate defenders, and set the tempo. So why throw him onto a line that spends half its shift trying to recover the puck? That’s not development—it’s sabotage.

If you’re serious about unlocking all three—Demidov, Laine, and Newhook—you build a line around Demidov’s strengths, not wedge him into a broken structure and hope he saves it. This isn’t a rescue mission, it’s an opportunity to build a line that actually tilts the ice.

Enough with the "safe" setups that kill creativity and bleed zone time. Let the kid drive. Give him the keys.

 

[BullLund]

PREACH. Some of y’all have no idea what’s about to hit the ice.

Demidov isn’t some “maybe one day” prospect—he’s a walking cheat code. The runway is cleared, the system’s oiled up, and this kid’s about to take off.

And here’s the kicker: he’s not just lighting it up on his own—he’s unlocking Laine and Newhook in the process. We’re talking full-throttle offense, highlight reels on repeat, and defenders left spinning like they're in a video game cutscene.

Jake Evans? Solid dude. But let’s be honest—Demidov’s the one handing out the playbook now.

Babysit? Nah. This isn’t daycare. This is ignition. Strap in or step aside.

Right now I feel like you could have Wayne Gretzky giving Newhook a sweet pass to a wide open net and he'd still find a way screw it up. Don't know what it is, but the guy just cannot score. No matter the situation.

The guy has 20 points playing on a 2nd line, it's pretty insane really.

 

[Kennerback]

We need a legit productive second line if we want to get anywhere in the playoffs. Demidov is part of that solution.

 

[Milhouse40]

He drives the line—not the other way around.

There’s no debate. No argument. No room for discussion.

Delete your account and reflect on your life choices.

And if you are trying to drive your Ferrari at high speed with a flat tire, might have some problem down the road. In this case, it might be 2 flat tires.

We want the same thing in the end....Demidov as much as possible on the ice....

If it were game 32 of the season, no problem, go with Laine and Newhook.....in the PO, against a top team night in and night out....it's a whole different story.

 

[SallyBalls]

Right now I feel like you could have Wayne Gretzky giving Newhook a sweet pass to a wide open net and he'd still find a way screw it up. Don't know what it is, but the guy just cannot score. No matter the situation.

The guy has 20 points playing on a 2nd line, it's pretty insane really.

Exactly—and that’s where Laine comes in. He’s the finisher. That’s his job. He doesn’t need to be lugging the puck up ice or making the first move—he needs to be the one ending the play.

Once Demidov is on that line, pulling defenders, drawing double coverage, and making heads spin, everything shifts. The ice opens up. Laine starts getting clean looks. Newhook’s game will benefit too—he won’t be forcing things or trying to do too much because the line will finally have structure and flow.

You plug in a real puck carrier like Demidov, and suddenly that second line starts looking like an actual threat—not a scramble.

 

[SallyBalls]

And if you are trying to drive your Ferrari at high speed with a flat tire, might have some problem down the road. In this case, it might be 2 flat tires.

We want the same thing in the end....Demidov as much as possible on the ice....

If it were game 32 of the season, no problem, go with Laine and Newhook.....in the PO, against a top team night in and night out....it's a whole different story.

You’re still not getting it—we need to make the second line function, not just throw our hands up and say Laine and Newhook are hacks.

I get the analogy—but the tires aren’t flat, the alignment is off.

Laine is the finisher. Newhook brings speed. What they’re missing is the engine—the puck carrier that ties it all together. That’s Demidov. Once he’s in the driver’s seat, the entire dynamic shifts. Laine doesn’t need to carry, Newhook isn’t forced to create off broken entries, and now they’re playing to their strengths instead of trying to survive shifts.

This isn’t about patchwork—it’s about building a line that actually works. You put Demidov on there pulling coverage, demanding attention, and suddenly Laine’s getting clean looks, Newhook’s finding lanes, and the line starts tilting the ice.

We all want Demidov on the ice as much as possible—but the key is giving him linemates he can elevate, not writing them off before the puck even drops.

 

[Bombshell11]

And if you are trying to drive your Ferrari at high speed with a flat tire, might have some problem down the road. In this case, it might be 2 flat tires.

We want the same thing in the end....Demidov as much as possible on the ice....

If it were game 32 of the season, no problem, go with Laine and Newhook.....in the PO, against a top team night in and night out....it's a whole different story.

You ride and die with Demidov

Subban took the spot of the #1 D right in the playoffs.

There's no need to shelter Demigod, he's it.

 

[David Suzuki]

Slafkovsky deserve it more. Laine is completely useless, he can only do one thing well. Slaf and Caufield are so much better than Laine.

As soon as he's going to get targetted in the playoffs Laine will disappear.

laine has been historically pretty good in the playoffs?

 

[BullLund]

laine has been historically pretty good in the playoffs?

He never really had a deep run apart from the one in 2018 with the Jets, but that was a long time ago. He looked pretty good in the 4 nations tournament.

 

[Marioesque]

laine has been historically pretty good in the playoffs?

He was a playoff wizard in Finland, MVP of playoffs as an 18 year old, broke the playoff goals record in Liiga. Then he was absolutely instrumental in the WJC gold and WHC silver (being tournament MVP).

He elevates when the games matter more, at least from all that I have seen so far. There just hasn't been that much playoffs for him yet in NHL. But he was good in that conference final run, even from 2nd/3rd line use.

 

[Rapala]

You're asking out of him more than it is to rescue the 2nd line. Starting the nhl playing on the top line and having to produce while going up against the best players of the world is a more difficult task than to produce on the 2nd line in a sheltered role.

I'm talking about a two game mentorship designed to be educational for Demidov and fun for everyone else.

Why wouldn't we want to see how the best player not in the NHL performs with our top level talent?
All three of these players are currently playing on their top lines Michkov Bedard Celebrini.

Two of them started on the first line coming out of the draft. Demidov spent an entire season honing his skills in the KHL he's coming in better prepared than any of those rookies.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

I'm talking about a two game mentorship designed to be educational for Demidov and fun for everyone else.

Why wouldn't we want to see how the best player not in the NHL performs with our top level talent?
All three of these players are currently playing on their top lines Michkov Bedard Celebrini.

Two of them started on the first line coming out of the draft. Demidov spent an entire season honing his skills in the KHL he's coming in better prepared than any of those rookies.

If you don't plan on having Demidov start on the top line for the playoffs, why waste two games on that when he could be building chemistry with his actual linemates? The focus shouldn't be on entertainment value; decisions should be made based on what will help the Habs perform their best in the playoffs.

 

[Rapala]

If you don't plan on having Demidov start on the top line for the playoffs, why waste two games on that when he could be building chemistry with his actual linemates? The focus shouldn't be on entertainment value; decisions should be made based on what will help the Habs perform their best in the playoffs.

Learning as much about the NHL game asap capiche. It's not rocket science.
Who on this board can claim he won't be as good or better than Caufield was when he played with Suzuki and Toffoli you know the line that took us al the way to a SCF. That line was not sheltered.
If it doesn't work we aren't losing if it does we are HUGE winners.

 

[Naslundforever]

If you don't plan on having Demidov start on the top line for the playoffs, why waste two games on that when he could be building chemistry with his actual linemates? The focus shouldn't be on entertainment value; decisions should be made based on what will help the Habs perform their best in the playoffs.

2 games 4 lines so it seems practices and mid-game line shuffling would be the only way to even sample chemistry… MSL won’t have much info to go on.

Hard to break up the 1st line since their whole pitch was « make no changes we’ll make the playoffs ».. Dvo’s line has been huge.. 2nd and 4th line are the 2 obvious spots so if it’s Newhook and Evans for this year, you run with it as you say.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Learning as much about the NHL game asap capiche. It's not rocket science.
Who on this board can claim he won't be as good or better than Caufield was when he played with Suzuki and Toffoli you know the line that took us al the way to a SCF. That line was not sheltered.
If it doesn't work we aren't losing if it does we are HUGE winners.

Playing with Suzuki on the top line instead of the Newhook line for 2 games isn't going to make him learn more about the NHL.

So your plan is to keep break the habs top line, which has been elite, right before the playoffs, and hope that a rookie with no NHL games played makes it better?

 

[dcyhabs]

Is Demidov expected to outplay Bédard, this year? I’m sure he’ll be good by 23, probably decent this year, but counting on him to star now is optimistic.

 

[Milhouse40]

You’re still not getting it—we need to make the second line function, not just throw our hands up and say Laine and Newhook are hacks.

I get the analogy—but the tires aren’t flat, the alignment is off.

Laine is the finisher. Newhook brings speed. What they’re missing is the engine—the puck carrier that ties it all together. That’s Demidov. Once he’s in the driver’s seat, the entire dynamic shifts. Laine doesn’t need to carry, Newhook isn’t forced to create off broken entries, and now they’re playing to their strengths instead of trying to survive shifts.

This isn’t about patchwork—it’s about building a line that actually works. You put Demidov on there pulling coverage, demanding attention, and suddenly Laine’s getting clean looks, Newhook’s finding lanes, and the line starts tilting the ice.

We all want Demidov on the ice as much as possible—but the key is giving him linemates he can elevate, not writing them off before the puck even drops.

Not saying it won't work but one thing Demidov can't do, it's transforming Newhook as a good center and making Laine good in his own zone. I'm scared that line getting ice-time but spending it stuck in their own zone.

Evans has 35 points this season and Newhook has 25 points and the type of game being played in the PO and considering the strenght we will face at least in 1st round......Suzuki will be the 1st line, Dvorak the 2nd line, Evans the 3rd line and Newhook the 4th line.

You ride and die with Demidov

Subban took the spot of the #1 D right in the playoffs.

There's no need to shelter Demigod, he's it.

It's really not about sheltering him......actually it's the total opposite.
I'm talking about not being scared to make him play with whoever is getting on the ice more.

As I mention above, I just think Newhook will end up the least used Center in the PO

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Laine - Demidov - Anderson

 

[SallyBalls]

Not saying it won't work but one thing Demidov can't do, it's transforming Newhook as a good center and making Laine good in his own zone. I'm scared that line getting ice-time but spending it stuck in their own zone.

Evans has 35 points this season and Newhook has 25 points and the type of game being played in the PO and considering the strenght we will face at least in 1st round......Suzuki will be the 1st line, Dvorak the 2nd line, Evans the 3rd line and Newhook the 4th line.



It's really not about sheltering him......actually it's the total opposite.
I'm talking about not being scared to make him play with whoever is getting on the ice more.

As I mention above, I just think Newhook will end up the least used Center in the PO

This line isn’t built to grind in the corners and block shots — it’s built to blow the damn doors off with speed, skill, and offense. You don’t send out a Ferrari and ask it to plow a field — you let it rip on the open road. You give them OZ starts, manage the matchups, and let them tilt the ice.

Worried they’ll get stuck in their zone? Fine — adjust in-game. But don’t go in scared. That line has explosion written all over it. If they get hot, they change series.

This isn’t about sheltering — it’s about weaponizing.

Wherever Demidov plays, that line is getting serious ice. He’s a game-changer, a possession magnet, and you want him on the ice. That means the guys with him — whether it’s Newhook, Laine, whoever — are going to rise or get replaced. Simple.

You don’t bury a player like Demidov. You build with him. You ride him. And if Newhook’s the center, he’s going to get the minutes. Sink or swim, but don’t assume he’s sinking — he’s got more skill than he gets credit for, and skating that can backcheck out of trouble.

You want to win in the playoffs? You take risks with upside. That line will be fire if the chemistry clicks — and Demidov will drag them into the fight if he has to.

 

[McGees]

I think Evans is the right call since Newhook isn’t even a real C. Evans can be responsible and maybe also give them Laine.

 

[No More Subban]

You’re still not getting it—we need to make the second line function, not just throw our hands up and say Laine and Newhook are hacks.

I get the analogy—but the tires aren’t flat, the alignment is off.

Laine is the finisher. Newhook brings speed. What they’re missing is the engine—the puck carrier that ties it all together. That’s Demidov. Once he’s in the driver’s seat, the entire dynamic shifts. Laine doesn’t need to carry, Newhook isn’t forced to create off broken entries, and now they’re playing to their strengths instead of trying to survive shifts.

This isn’t about patchwork—it’s about building a line that actually works. You put Demidov on there pulling coverage, demanding attention, and suddenly Laine’s getting clean looks, Newhook’s finding lanes, and the line starts tilting the ice.

We all want Demidov on the ice as much as possible—but the key is giving him linemates he can elevate, not writing them off before the puck even drops.

Agreed 100%. 1st line and 3rd line don't need fixing. It's the 2nd line that needs it badly.

Man.. imagine we can start rolling 3 lines.. and hopefully the 4th line can chip in a dirty goal once or twice in the playoffs. That'd be huge.