F Ivan Demidov - SKA St. Petersburg, KHL (2024, 5th, MTL)

[BuiumSaveUs]

He’s such a Wild

 

[Kshahdoo]

He’s such a Wild

Yeah, it looks like the Wild have understood they're losing him, and they've corrected their game. Isn't it too late, though?

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Yeah, it looks like the Wild have understood they're losing him, and they've corrected their game. Isn't it too late, though?

I think he’ll be around at 8/9. Centers and D always go first and there’s a bunch of them in the top of this draft. Michkov went 7th last year. Don’t think he’s quite that level of prospect

 

[Kshahdoo]

I think he’ll be around at 8/9. Centers and D always go first and there’s a bunch of them in the top of this draft. Michkov went 7th last year. Don’t think he’s quite that level of prospect

He's #2 on many lists. And while there are a few very intresting D prospects for the draft, Demidov just looks very unique to pass on him.

And teams that passed on Michkov will regret it till the end of times. Hope the end won't happen in the next year or two, though...

 

[montreal]

I think he’ll be around at 8/9. Centers and D always go first and there’s a bunch of them in the top of this draft. Michkov went 7th last year. Don’t think he’s quite that level of prospect

I don't think he will make it past the Habs.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

I don't think he will make it past the Habs.

You hope he doesn’t that is. With Catton and Lindstrom around there I think they do center. If they don’t: more centers for me. Top 10 is great this year

 

[Kshahdoo]

I don't think he will make it past the Habs.

Yeah, I doubt the Habs will make the same mistake 2 drafts in a row...

 

[SlafySZN]

I don't think he will make it past the Habs.

Bob Mckenzie has him 6th in his mid, which is crazy to me. He’ll probably be higher if he has insane playoffs. Would be my dream if he’s still on the board when the habs pick.

Yeah, I doubt the Habs will make the same mistake 2 drafts in a row...

The habs likes Demidov. They weren’t that high on Michkov for some reasons.

 

[Anardil]

If you believe the rumours, the Habs were one of the teams that Michkov 'Lindrosed'.

 

[SlafySZN]

If you believe the rumours, the Habs were one of the teams that Michkov 'Lindrosed'.

They interviewed him a day before the draft so i don’t think so.

 

[Kshahdoo]

If you believe the rumours, the Habs were one of the teams that Michkov 'Lindrosed'.

He didn't wanna come to Arizona, as to Montreal I think he was OK to play there.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Montreal isn’t for everyone. I really wouldn’t be shocked if Michkov said no thanks. Habs damage control since would make a lot of sense.

 

[montreal]

Montreal isn’t for everyone. I really wouldn’t be shocked if Michkov said no thanks. Habs damage control since would make a lot of sense.

It's certainly not for everyone, the fans are rabid and not everyone wants that kind of intense spotlight. Plus all sorts of other factors. I have to say as someone that loves a good conspiracy theory, and even though there was talk for months that in deed the Habs scouts were very high on Reinbacher, I thought at the time that was a smokescreen and that they wanted Will Smith. But on draft day I don't know what really happened but when Carey Price bungled announcing the pick on live tv it just felt like something went very wrong very quickly and they had to scramble for whatever reason.

Now I don't know a think about what really happened, at the time I was not in favor of picking Mickhov, I still would not pick him as I worry enough with can the Habs win a cup when one of their best players is Caufield as i don't know how a smaller player like him would fair in the playoffs. I'm just not a big fan of Michkov other then he's got a lot of offensive skill but there's a number of holes in his game that concern me. We'll see what happens.

I did not want Reinbacher, the little I saw of him other then his frame and mobility, I wasn't overly impressed and now I don't even know what to make of him as I was sold on him being so good in his own end but that's often not been the case this season (I haven't seen the last 5 or 6 games, they are tough to sit through) I like some of his offensive game though as he can move the puck and he's got NHL size, mobility already so he's easily going to see NHL ice time and I can see how he could develop into something very special, at this point I just have to hope the Habs scouts know what they are doing. History hasn't been kind to our 1st round picks for a long time now so we'll see.

I was leaning towards Leonard as I actually thought Will Smith would drop to us but if he didn't I thought they would go with Leonard as the backup. The hours leading up to the draft the rumor about the Preds offering Askarov and the 15th or whatever the rumor was but I thought if that's true then we were 100% trading down. Then the talk started that Michkov met with the flyers and wanted to go there so it is interesting what might have gone on there. In the end I just hope the Habs make a lot more right moves then wrong ones but we'll see as it's way too early to say one way or the other.

 

[montreal]

his last game of the regular season, 1g, 2a,

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

his last game of the regular season, 1g, 2a,

Only one more year in Russia before he can come over to Minnesota.

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Only one more year in Russia before he can come over to Minnesota.

The wild are closer to drafting 16th overall than 7th.

Unless Arizona relocates to having a 2nd Minnesota franchise not sure how he's gonna be there lol

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

The wild are closer to drafting 16th overall than 7th.

Unless Arizona relocates to having a 2nd Minnesota franchise not sure how he's gonna be there lol

They have the 10th pick as of today

 

[coooldude]

They have the 10th pick as of today

well akshually you guys are even better, 9th as of today by points %. Tankathon | 2024 NHL Draft Order & Lottery Simulator

 

[Kshahdoo]

well akshually you guys are even better, 9th as of today by points %. Tankathon | 2024 NHL Draft Order & Lottery Simulator

Still I'm pretty sure Demidov will be picked before 9th.

 

[coooldude]

Still I'm pretty sure Demidov will be picked before 9th.

Yeah, my guess is 4-6. I would be surprised if one of the 2/3 teams takes the risk with all those juicy D and Lindstrom on the board. But once the top 2-3 D are gone, Demidov starts to look pretty exciting to a team that isn't in full rebuild.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Demidov won’t go before Celebrini, Lindstrom, Levshunov, Dickinson or Silayev. He goes somewhere from 6-11, imo.

 

[cheechoo]

Demidov won’t go before Celebrini, Lindstrom, Levshunov, Dickinson or Silayev. He goes somewhere from 6-11, imo.

Copium.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Copium.

I said this last year when everyone said Michkov wouldn’t get past Montreal at 5 and nobody listened. I said Rossi was going to go to Minnesota at 9 after 120 points in like 50 games and everybody said I was crazy. Small players drop. Wingers drop. Russians drop. It’s history. More than likely a GM isn’t going to pass on big players who can skate at premium positions for a small Russian with skill.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Three big differences with Michkov :

- In 2024 the top of the draft is much lower
- Demidov only has one year on his contract
- Demidov is more involved defensively

 

[cheechoo]

I said this last year when everyone said Michkov wouldn’t get past Montreal at 5 and nobody listened. I said Rossi was going to go to Minnesota at 9 after 120 points in like 50 games and everybody said I was crazy. Small players drop. Wingers drop. Russians drop. It’s history. More than likely a GM isn’t going to pass on big players who can skate at premium positions for a small Russian with skill.

That's fair, but there was a bit more smoke with respect to Michkov than Demidov. He goes a lot higher if he doesn't allegedly tell the teams that pick at #4 and #5 that he didn't have interest in playing there.

There's a chance that Demidov could fall due to Russian factor, KHL factor, C/D > W bias; but it feels like he's pretty much universally understood to be the second best player in this class.

I'd be shocked if he fell outside the top 5, this class doesn't have Fantilli/Carlsson level heavy hitters as consolation prizes.