“I’d be concerned on Demidov for the same reason I was concerned on Michkov. He’s a small, slow Russian winger who we didn’t get to scout live all season. We all see the skill, he’s stupid talented, but in the top five you need to be sure, and I don’t see how teams can be that sure.”
“Demidov’s game is way more direct. His habits are much better than Michkov’s. Mickov is extremely talented and a heck of a hockey player, but I know who my coach is going to prefer to lean on come playoff time and it’s Demidov.”
“Michkov was in the conversation with
Connor Bedard for us. That should tell you how highly we think of the player. It’s not even a conversation. His hockey sense and skill are off the charts.”
“Demidov is an excellent player, but he’s only played against junior players and I don’t love the quality of competition of that league. Michkov did it versus men in his draft year. He was great at the U20 level, the U18 level, even with the senior Russian team. He displayed consistency across high levels of competition.”
“I think with Michkov you always know he’s going to score, but his game can give you some headaches. He lacks pace, he doesn’t play very hard. Demidov has less of those issues even if he’s not an amazing skater. He also seems to have less drama around him. I’d feel more comfortable picking Demidov.”