Former Montreal Canadien Ilya Kovalchuk shares his thoughts about Ivan Demidov

During his 22 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Ilya Kovalchuk played alongside 20-year-old Nick Suzuki.

Suzuki was letterless at the time, playing his rookie season with the Habs, and looking back now, he has come a long way. Kovalchuk was the veteran, and while he didn't stick around for long, his skills rubbed off on Suzuki. Now in the KHL, well since the 2020-21 season, Kovalchuk is watching another play who is hoping to have a massive impact on the Habs.

Since Kovalchuk has been over in Russia, he gets to watch the best and brighest Russian prospects. That is especially important, because it means he has some insights and opinions from watching Ivan Demidov play live with SKA St Peterburg. And in a recent interview, he shared his thoughts about the Habs prized prospect.

Kovalchuk could have gone on about the on-ice skills and discussed his skating, but instead of a scouting report, he shared who Demidov is. The confidence that Kovalchuk touches on is rather encouraging, and the fact that Demidov has formed chemistry with Evgeny Kuznetsov is also intriguing. Usually, a rookie will play in a protected role against guys who will insulate, but Kuznetsov is probably one of the most talented players in the KHL; that is very telling.

I think if your top prospect is playing with a former NHL veteran of 11 seasons and 743 games, he is learning something good. Sure, Kuznetsov hasn't always made the best decisions, but his offensive abilities are elite. Kent Hughes knows what he has in Demidov, and that is no doubt a reason why he goes to Russia to watch him.

Many talked, and continue to discuss the missed opportunity to draft Matvei Michkov, who looks to be one of the next great Russian players. Deservedly so, Michkov is a dynamic goal scorer, and he will ignite the league, and Philadelphia barn for a long time. But Hughes had his eyes on another Russian, in Demidov, who looks to be the next dynamic Russian talent.

Demidov's skills are on full display with each game that he plays, even with a smaller role and less ice time than he deserves. Every time he touches the puck, the different elite traits ooze out of him, and it looks so natural. Take for example his 14th goal of the KHL season, Demidov scored a ridiculous solo tally, that displayed some of his tricks.

As a scout or a sort of hockey talent evaluator, you got to see an awful lot of what Demidov brings to the ice with this goal. He anticipates the pass, forces a turnover, then intercepts the puck and uses his dynamic edges to find open space. When he gets into the soft area, he wires a wicked backhand past the unsuspecting goaltender.

This is a 19-year-old rookie playing in the top Russian league, and he has the confidence to pull off highlight reel plays nearly every game. Montreal needed some talent, and I would argue that the 2024 first round for the Habs, addressed that emphatically. Demidov is up to 32 points through 43 games, and that is with inconsistent ice time from his head coach.

Part two of the Habs 2024 Draft first round

I touched on how important the Canadiens' two draft picks from the first round of the 2024 draft, but I didn't go into detail about the second pick. Michael Hage, while overshadowed by Demidov, is a blue-chip prospect, who will likely play with the Habs as soon as he wishes. There are definite things in his game that need improvement, but the natural ability and skill are there in heaps and bounds.

Montreal wanted to upgrade their team with hopes for future success, sustainable future success to be exact. They didn't shoot low, that is for sure, and Hage and Demidov could potentially be top line talents for the Canadiens. I think both can play center, but that doesn't mean they will, however, they will both score many goals, and make many pretty plays in the NHL.

Whether they play together or apart, the 2024 draftees are full of talent, and at just 18 and 19 years old respectively, the pair have plenty of room for growth. I think of it like this, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were highly touted at the time of their draft. Now, 24 and 25 years old, the pair are in the prime of their career and still improving.

What that tells me is that Montreal is only going to continue maturing, improving and growing and when they are competitive, some of their best players will only get better. Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle have been studs on the Habs defence, and both of them are only 20 and 22 years old. Jakub Dobes is 23 and Jacob Fowler is still just 20 years old.

Montreal looks solid now, but give them another season or two, and the team is only going to be better, young, faster and more competitive. The roster won't reach its completion for a few more seasons but the team is going to excite the league for many years to come. They are young and hungry, and 1993 is before most of the team was born, so a Stanley Cup is definitely a must.