Just to clarify.. I hold Demidov in the highest of opinions. I would get shitfaced if my team got him. He's a 1st overall talent. Sure, he could end up being the better player vs Michkov.. but with the information we have now? Seems fairly unlikely.
Someone said Demidov was ready to force his way to the KHL, but he didn't. Why not? Why didn't they put him back in the VHL .. and why did Michkov get no MHL time in the start of his draft year, even after injury, and after 12 VHL games was already on his way to the KHL? Clearly SKA thinks Michkov is better
Also, I actually think Demidov is the more exciting player offensively. Demidov is more flashy and tries more individual efforts .. and is an absolutely enthralling skater. But even when Demidov is playmaking, he can't help but do it in the flashy ways. Michkov is much more content to make the most simple and effective plays, even though he could do crazy shit. That's a large part of what IQ is about. Which is one of the most important differences between the two. IF Demidov is actually more skilled (and that's an IF), it's still true that Demidov's IQ looks quite poor compared to Michkov's