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

[Caser]

I assumed he was going to be in the VHL next season with his brother, who also has 1 year left on his deal and is of course undrafted so I wonder if the team that's lucky enough to get Demidov would opt to also use a late round pick on his brother.

The older brother isn't eligible for the draft anymore though.

 

[Sacha BOXviert]

We still have milsteins camp next week

I trust that one last meeting in Florida will convince Davidson

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

It was sounding more like Demidov was solidifying himself as the obvious #2 pick in the draft(in terms of what realistically happens). But Levshunov going #2 is picking up more steam. And now there's buzz about Demidov might slide until 5 or later now.

Several teams will be making a mistake then. He's absolutely the 2nd best player in the draft.

Same with Michkov last year will see in a few years if teams were right or wrong but today im still hurt that we picked Reinbacher over him we better not make the same mistake this year

Demidov no matter what

 

[Doublechin]

Every year

Same story

Teams are afraid to draft Russian talent and people are still shocked and outraged

 

[Castle8130]

Same with Michkov last year will see in a few years if teams were right or wrong but today im still hurt that we picked Reinbacher over him we better not make the same mistake this year

Demidov no matter what

Last year was a little different. Fantilli and Carlsson were thought of very highly. Much better than the competition Demidov has for the #2 spot this year. You can definitely say he should've been a top 4-5 pick on talent and dropped from there.

Demidov is a very obvious #2 oa pick (for me) and people are now sharing their doubts as we head to draft day. He is a phenomenal talent and I will be heartbroken if the Hawks stray away from him

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Last year was a little different. Fantilli and Carlsson were thought of very highly. Much better than the competition Demidov has for the #2 spot this year. You can definitely say he should've been a top 4-5 pick on talent and dropped from there.

Demidov is a very obvious #2 oa pick and people are now sharing their doubts as we head to draft day. He is a phenomenal talent and I will be heartbroken if the Hawks stray away from him

Yes agree on Carlsson and Fantilli also since they both big centers which GMs love but this year theres also alot of very good def those players play 25 to 30min a night hard to pass on players like Dickinson,Levshunov,Buium etc

I know personally if Habs were picking 2nd the obvious choice would be Demidov/Lindstrom since we're kinda stacked on def prospects but for a team like the Hawks who need everything are in for a few years of rebuild and next years prospects are mostly forwards im sure they will go def this year also think ANA will pick a def so should be between Columbus and Montreal (hopefully)

 

[FlyguyOX]

Problem with Demidov is there aren't enough viewings of him against half-decent competition. He can waltzy-doo around slow rural farm boys in the MHL all day. We don't have any international events or games against men to really gauge him against.

 

[Castle8130]

Yes agree on Carlsson and Fantilli also since they both big centers which GMs love but this year theres also alot of very good def those players play 25 to 30min a night hard to pass on players like Dickinson,Levshunov,Buium etc

I know personally if Habs were picking 2nd the obvious choice would be Demidov/Lindstrom since we're kinda stacked on def prospects but for a team like the Hawks who need everything are in for a few years of rebuild and next years prospects are mostly forwards im sure they will go def this year also think ANA will pick a def so should be between Columbus and Montreal (hopefully)

I'm not a big fan of that line of thinking. Logan Hensler is 6'2" right handed smooth skater. If he has a terrific off-season, I can see him challenging for a top 3 draft spot. Add a few more guys with surprising draft year seasons and its just like this draft. Drafts are so hard to predict from a year out because the off-season before their draft year is so crucial for their development.

The Hawks really could use anything. Our defensive prospect pool is a little deeper than at forward. We have 3 1st round defensive prospects in our pool of players along with Ethan Del Mastro, Wyatt Kaiser, and Alex Vlasic (already a staple on our team). It all depends on who beats who for a roster spot.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Problem with Demidov is there aren't enough viewings of him against half-decent competition. He can waltzy-doo around slow rural farm boys in the MHL all day. We don't have any international events or games against men to really gauge him against.

You mean all those VHLers and KHLers he outscored in the playoffs aren't good enough for NCAA and CHL?

 

[FlyguyOX]

You mean all those VHLers and KHLers he outscored in the playoffs aren't good enough for NCAA and CHL?

I don't understand your point tbh.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I don't understand your point tbh.

His point is that during the MHL postseason, teams will send down their junior-aged players from KHL and VHL teams, so the competition steps up, and Demidov still performed just as well.

 

[FlyguyOX]

His point is that during the MHL postseason, teams will send down their junior-aged players from KHL and VHL teams, so the competition steps up, and Demidov still performed just as well.

That seems like a small population of players and not sizeable enough to completely alter the level of competition he faced. I checked the top scorers for the MHL playoffs this year and 10 of the top 15 were still U20 with just a couple players being drafted prospects.

 

[montreal]

The older brother isn't eligible for the draft anymore though.

That doesn't sound correct, why wouldn't he be as he doesn't turn 22 until Sept no?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Last year was a little different. Fantilli and Carlsson were thought of very highly. Much better than the competition Demidov has for the #2 spot this year. You can definitely say he should've been a top 4-5 pick on talent and dropped from there.

Demidov is a very obvious #2 oa pick (for me) and people are now sharing their doubts as we head to draft day. He is a phenomenal talent and I will be heartbroken if the Hawks stray away from him

I think there was a bigger gap between Michkov and whoever else other than Bedard than Demidov and whoever else other than Celebrini. Maybe those other options are better than the other options this year, but Michkov is also a higher caliber player than Demidov.

 

[Fantomas]

Demidov is a very obvious #2 oa pick (for me) and people are now sharing their doubts as we head to draft day. He is a phenomenal talent and I will be heartbroken if the Hawks stray away from him

The story being told by some now is that Demidov played predominantly in the MHL, a junior league, which leads some to doubt how good he is.

Forget the fact that the best Russian prospects were developed in this league.

Again, I expect some NHL teams will be making the same mistake of underrating Russian players and taking guys they're more comfortable with assessing. Which is of course fine. Demidov will go where he's appreciated.

 

[Sacha BOXviert]

Demidov does not have three years signed with SKA so the excuse this year is competition. Always the same.

 

[Caser]

That doesn't sound correct, why wouldn't he be as he doesn't turn 22 until Sept no?

Because for the draft the cutoff date is 1st of January, therefore the oldest possible eligible player this year would be born on 1st of January, 2003.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Because for the draft the cutoff date is 1st of January, therefore the oldest possible eligible player this year would be born on 1st of January, 2003.

Hm, isn't it September, 15th, 2022?

 

[Caser]

Hm, isn't it September, 15th, 2022?

15th of September, 2006 is the birthdate for the youngest possible draft-eligible player this year, 1st of January, 2003 - for the oldest (for the oldest NA-based player it is 1st of January, 2004).

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

I have never thought he would go in the top 5. He’s my second best player in the draft, but if my career depended on it, I’m not in any rush to select the undersize Russian winger who is just an average skater. He’ll go in the 5-12 range.

 

[montreal]

Because for the draft the cutoff date is 1st of January, therefore the oldest possible eligible player this year would be born on 1st of January, 2003.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of the cutoff date as I know you have to be under 22 so he missed the cuttoff by 3 1/2 months.

 

[FlyguyOX]

The story being told by some now is that Demidov played predominantly in the MHL, a junior league, which leads some to doubt how good he is.

Forget the fact that the best Russian prospects were developed in this league.

Again, I expect some NHL teams will be making the same mistake of underrating Russian players and taking guys they're more comfortable with assessing. Which is of course fine. Demidov will go where he's appreciated.

I'm a big proponent of russian prospects. Go check out the voronkov prospect thread.

I'm just stating the fact it's hard to evaluate him when there's not much video in
A) the WJC
B) a top junior league
C) A mens pro league

 

[Kshahdoo]

I have never thought he would go in the top 5. He’s my second best player in the draft, but if my career depended on it, I’m not in any rush to select the undersize Russian winger who is just an average skater. He’ll go in the 5-12 range.

Lol, average. He's the best skater of the draft, people just don't understand what good skating is nowadays...

And he's as undersized as Kucherov or Panarin.

 

[Fantomas]

I'm a big proponent of russian prospects. Go check out the voronkov prospect thread.

I'm just stating the fact it's hard to evaluate him when there's not much video in
A) the WJC
B) a top junior league
C) A mens pro league

Plenty of video in a top junior league. It's called the MHL.

 

[Boxscore]

On raw talent alone, Demidov is the 2nd or 3rd highest-skilled player in the draft, imo. That said, I don't think he'll be one of the top 5 most valuable players in the draft when we reflect five years from now. Of course, this is simply a gut hunch. I think he'll be flashy and highly productive but more in the prime Phil Kessel mold than a team carrier like Celebrini.

I also think there's going to be a few players who end up higher-impact NHLers based on putting it all together and tapping into intangibles. And this will knock Demidov down a bit, no fault of his own.

I think Mack Celebrini is an automatic. I think Buium will end up the second most dominant player in the draft, ultimately having an Adam Fox-like impact. I feel that Silayev could end up challenging for multiple Norris Trophies as the premier shutdown defenseman in the NHL with 50+ points offensively... think Pronger without the criminal element but better skating. And I think Iginla will end up punching above his weight class and be the type of leader who matches elite character with high-end skills like Daniel Alfredsson. If Lindstrom can keep that hulking frame healthy and put it all together, he could resemble Ryan Getzlaf.

All of that said, I can see a case for Demidov being selected as high as 2nd overall by the Hawks (even though I believe they pass and he slides to 5th overall). I would also be more than fine if my team drafted him above any of the players I mentioned above, based on his dynamic skill set.

Ultimately, I think he ends up going 5th overall to the Habs... and the draft falling like...

1. SJS - Celebrini
2. CHI - Levshunov
3. ANA - Silayev
4. CLB - Lindstrom
5. MTL - Demidov

Again, no fault of Demidov, but I think these teams will put extra weight on drafting for "need" instead of pure talent. I feel CHI will covet that big, multi-purpose RHD and lick their chops thinking about a Korchinski-Levshunov pairing for a decade.

I think the Ducks are stacked with young talent in all positions but won't be able to pass up an elite, shutdown D monster who can log 26 minutes a night and compliment offensive D titans like Mintyukov and Zellweger. With Silayev, those two guys, Luneau and LaCombe, etc. the Ducks D will be the undisputed greatest on the planet in 4 years.

CLB likely can't pass up a center ice core that features Fantilli, Lindstrom, and Sillinger.

That's why I feel Demidov drops to 5th overall and the Habs pounce. Unless they get brazen and take a future leader in Iginla. But I think a good percentage of Canadiens fans are still salty over them passing on Michkov last year and some may lose their minds if they don't take Demidov if he's there.

Welcome to Montreal, Ivan Demidov.