Player Discussion Ivan Demidov: Welcome to Montreal

[habdynasty]

Where do you want him to play?

 

[Tyson]

Where do you want him to play?

That's a great question. I think he would be better with Evans and Armia. At least he would be playing with guys who play decent 5 on 5.

 

[Andrei79]

Has any player found chemistry with Laine and Newhook?

I think Newhook can do adequately in a bottom 6 role. He's not suited for a top 6 role though. At least, not the current version of Newhook. I'm hoping he either practices with the maritimes guys (Marchand, Mackinnon, Crosby) this summer or stays in Brossard. He has a lot to learn still, but at least the motor is there and he has a defensive conscience.

Laine, I have no idea what to think. His injury is clearly affecting him, but his defensive reads and his decision making with the puck are so bad and seem independent of any injury. I find it hard to see which player would find chemistry with someone who plays the game as wrong as he has this year.

My expectations for these playoffs for Demidov aren't high though if he plays on the second line. I'd like to see more urgency and pace from him though, he's coasted quite a bit but maybe the game has been too fast for him.

 

[habdynasty]

That's a great question. I think he would be better with Evans and Armia. At least he would be playing with guys who play decent 5 on 5.

That would be ok. Laine has no legs,

 

[DAChampion]

I'm going to try.

Caulfield - Suzuki - Anderson
That line hasn't worked before but let's try again. Anderson is better defensively now, and still has the ability to create space. This line can go up against the best players.

Demidov - Dvorak - Slafkovsky
Exploitation line. Put up against weaker opponents and in the ozone.

Laine - Evans - Armia
Newhook - Kappanen - Gallagher
spare: Heinemen, Pezzetta

The bottom two I'm not sure about. But it's important to separate Laine and Newhook.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

You literally just watched a game with Ovechkin being a physical force and being the key to his team winning.

He, Vasilevsky and Malkin have Conn Smythes. Guys like Fedorov and Datsyuk have been forces in the playoffs for years.

What on earth are you talking about.

All of them having done much more in their playoff careers than Rod Brind’Amour and I mean no disrespect to Rod the bod, but there’s levels to this shit and he’s not on the same one.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I did, it doesn't change the fact that he quit on his team numerous times in years preceding the caps cup run. Dude is a quitter.

Yep, he quit his way to 900 goals. Do you know how nuts you sound?

 

[Kojo]

Where do you want him to play?

In Laval

 

[Goldenhands]

Where do you want him to play?

One last try with Laine + Newhook, if it doesnt work after 20-30 mins and that Laine keeps playing that poorly, then I would swap Laine for Heineman. If it doesnt work, then the options are limited, maybe Newhook moved to the wing and try Kapanen down the middle.

Laine Newhook Demidov

Heineman Newhook Demidov

Heineman/Newhook Kapanen Demidov

There is also the possibility to break up the 1st line and play Demidov with Suzuki, Caufield, but I see it as the last option after we tried everything to get that 2nd line going.

Caufield Suzuki Demidov

Laine Newhook/Kapanen Slaf

Heineman Newhook/Kapanen Slaf

 

[Ozmodiar]

Where do you want him to play?

I think they have to get him some good looks on the powerplay.

Even strength - not sure they’ll accommodate him by making significant changes. The other 3 lines have had a lot of playing time together.

 

[MasterD]

Demidov showed us what he can do in the first 3 shifts when he wasn't being coached.

Its a coaching issue.

Kucherov is defenitly generational

PPG since 2016-2017,

McDavid's 1.55
Kucherov 1.43

Not sure what you're talking about

Of course! MSL is also the reason why Mesar isn't producing like a generational player in the NHL.

 

[MasterD]

It's not generational if you can claim four separate forwards simultaneously are generational. Then you have Makar/Hughes. How many generational players can be in one generation?

One generational player per franchise, one franchise player per line, per team. Simple.

 

[River Meadow]

In Laval

Slaf saw zero time in Laval.

Zero chance Demidov does.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

What is the units of measure for generational?

Is the player head and shoulders better than his peers?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I agree, Kucherov is a dominant, stand out player for multiple years in a row.

He is. But that doesn't make him generational.

From 2016-17 (a big sample)

Kucherov is 4th in points behind Drai and Mackinnon. He's 9th in goals. His PPG pace is 2nd behind McDavid and that's impressive. But he doesn't score goals at as high a rate as Mackinnon and Drai. And they're both younger players. (Mackinnon only had 53 points in the first season of this sample. Likewise, Drai had a 71 point season and was only 21.)

Change it to 2019-2020 and those three are dead even in points per game and Mack and Drai have much better goal numbers.

He's among the best players of this generation. If you want to give him an edge over Mack and Drai that's okay - I'd disagree, esp with the goal numbers - but that's fine. But even if he is better than those guys it's not by much and he's a lot older than they are. Moreover, McDavid's head and shoulders better than all of them.

He's a first ballot HOFer. Amazing player. But generational he ain't. He's among a group of elite players that are competing for 2nd best player in the world. Want to say he's the best among that group? You could make a good argument for it. But those players are scoring goals and putting up similar points. It's not a no brainer by any stretch.

A guy like Steve Yzerman for example put up insane numbers over a six year stretch before getting hurt. He almost joins Lafleur/Bossy/Gretz in the 6 straight 50/100 club - misses by a few goals one season. Over that stretch he's the highest scoring player in hockey not named Wayne/Mario. His AVERAGE was 54 goals and 124 points per 82. He's also head and shoulders above everyone else - and we're talking about guys like Mark Messier. Is he considered generational? No. I'd argue that he has a better case than Kucherov to be called generational though.

That's why I don't like to hear 'generational' thrown around with Demidov. He's a great prospect and hopefully he delivers. He has franchise talent written all over him. But franchise player isn't generational. Let's not stick him with a label he's not likely to live up to.

 

[Gravity]

Demidov to the AHL?

 

[ahmedou]

HOCKEY RUSSIA = FOOTBALL BRAZIL

= ️

 

[CrashOut]

Saying Kucherov isn't generational is a crazy take.

 

[TomKosto]

Saying Kucherov isn't generational is a crazy take.

Yea lmfao, he is.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Saying Kucherov isn't generational is a crazy take.

There just happens to be a similar thread going on in the polls section. Feel free to visit it there.

Thread 'Assuming Kucherov wins third Art Ross, he is above which of these groups of players...'

Apr 12, 2025

How high would that put him all-time?

Group A: Above guys like Selanne, Kurri, Brett Hull (top 55 to 75 type players)

Group B: Above guys like Malkin, Forsberg, Dionne (top 45 to 54 type guys)

Group C: Above guys like Bossy, Trottier, Sakic, Yzerman (top 35 to 40 type players)

Group D: Roughly on par with Guy Lafleur (top 25 all-time)

• GlitchMarner
• Replies: 175
• Forum: Polls - (hockey-related only)

Let's move on from it here.

 

[ahmedou]

When I readou Ivan Demidov's topic on HFHabs:

 

[Dagistitsyn]

Has any player found chemistry with Laine and Newhook?

Well, historically speaking,

Laine : Yes. Multiple line mates on multiple teams through out his career so far have found good chemistry. Only Suzuki and Hutson on the PP so far here, but he’s been stuck with Newhook at 5v5 every game.

Newhook : Nope. No one has ever been able to find chemistry with him yet in the NHL period, tried on multiple lines on 2 different teams. Including players like Suzuki, Caufield, MacKinnon. The guy is ass. He can’t play with skilled players at all and belongs on the 4th line LW or off the team entirely. Demidov will never be able to get going with the black hole at C.

 

[Quatre Vingt Treize]

Is Demidov like Luke Hughes not eligible for an offer sheet following his ELC? Hutson?

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Yep, he quit his way to 900 goals. Do you know how nuts you sound?

Scoring 900 goals proves NOTHING. He may have only cared about personal records. The year Gretzky scored 92 goals Oilers were eliminated in 5 games. Gretzky and Yzerman could have scored more goals but they changed their game to have a better chance of winning.
Now on the teams Ovechkin was on if he was one of the only finishers him scoring may have been the best way to try to win a Cup. But a goal scoring record is not proof that he always tried to win.

 

[Kennerback]

Scoring 900 goals proves NOTHING. He may have only cared about personal records. The year Gretzky scored 92 goals Oilers were eliminated in 5 games. Gretzky and Yzerman could have scored more goals but they changed their game to have a better chance of winning.
Now on the teams Ovechkin was on if he was one of the only finishers him scoring may have been the best way to try to win a Cup. But a goal scoring record is not proof that he always tried to win.

First of all, f*** Ovechkin. Second, he’s 39 years old and scored two goals in the playoffs, whether he’s just being a passenger or not, what he did was the absolute most efficient thing to help his team win. Third, they won, we lost.