ESPN lists Ivan Demidov as their top-ranked prospect outside NHL

Rachel Doerrie of ESPN named the top 50 team-affiliated prospects who aren't currently in the NHL. She excluded players she assumes will play the rest of the season in the league, such as Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Conor Geekie. However, the list is still a whos-who of some of the brightest prospects in the NHL. Doerrie believes that Ivan Demidov shines the most and designated him the top-ranked team-affiliated prospect.

Doerrie stated, "Demidov is supremely talented and a true difference maker. His elite skill set gives him the highest probability of becoming a superstar in the NHL. There's a good chance he blossoms into an elite offensive talent, notching more than a point per game for a decade in the NHL. The most talented player outside of the NHL, without a doubt."

She also named David Reinbacher No. 27, a ranking that fans will wish is a bit higher. Some players above Reinbacher, such as Easton Cowan, won't go over well, and a list of defensemen drafted much lower than fifth overall.

About Reinbacher, "Reinbacher would be higher up this list if there were not warranted concerns about his development being hampered by various circumstances, including injury. Reinbacher projects to be a middle-pairing defender, capable of playing in all situations and tilting the ice in his team's favor. If he can take a leap forward in his development this season, he could see minutes in the NHL, but it is more reasonable to expect him to be a full-timer NHLer next season."

One notable omission from the list is Michael Hage. It's hard to understand how Doerrie decided that Hage would be off the list when a player like Trevor Connelly ranked ahead of Reinbacher. The Vegas Golden Knights drafted Connelly behind Hage this year, and he has only one assist in two games with Providence College. Hage has seven points in six games this season.

The Demidov love is spreading throughout hockey, but that's where the love stops for the Canadiens and their prospect pool. Doerrie is likely considering Oliver Kapanen, Lane Hutson, and Emil Heineman as full-time NHL players, but that doesn't explain the absences of Logan Mailloux, Filip Mesar, Jacob Fowler, and Hage. Yaroslav Askarov ranks sixth on this list, leaving Fowler as an interesting omission. The Canadiens wouldn't accept Askarov in a trade for Fowler earlier this offseason.