Every Russian kid plays in the MHL, other than the ones that came to North America as junior players, since it's the Russian junior league. With the CHL Import Ban of the last couple years, that's basically everyone, and Russian forwards typically have a better track record from staying in Russia than coming to the CHL. That includes Kucherov, Panarin, Kaprizov, Nichushkin. It is the main feeder into the KHL and VHL and just a stop on a Russian player's journey. Last season, the Hawks used a 2nd round pick on a player that played exclusively in the MHL in Roman Kantserov who by the end of the most recent season, was playing in a top six role in the Playoffs on the team that won the KHL Championship. Demidov can't really control how good or not good other players in the League are. As far as prospects go that have played in the MHL (it's a relatively new thing, as it began in 2009-10, prior to that players like Ovechkin and Malkin would play in the Russian 3rd division as youths, but had they been born less than a decade later, they would have also played in the MHL), he is considered amongst the best.