Ivan Demidov expected to be SKA's 13th forward in his first KHL playoff game

SKA St. Petersburg commences their Gagarin Cup playoff run on Thursday afternoon against Dynamo Moscow.

It appears that Ivan Demidov will start the game as the 13th forward, meaning he is likely to play no special teams minutes. He also isn't very likely to play much at five-on-five either, but the good news is that, with the playoffs starting, the end of the 2024-25 season is even closer. The mismanaged ice time and ridiculous deployment have impacted Demidov's production, and SKA, who isn't all that great, has been without their top scorer, Demidov, who has been glued to the bench.

In any event, while exciting for SKA, I would have to think Demidov shares the same sentiment, which makes the coach's decisions somewhat questionable. Demidov appears to be positive most of the time, with his patented smile worn proudly. And, he may be one of the KHL's most fiery players, let alone 19-year-old players.

It seems like an odd decision to keep him off the ice, but honestly, the pain will be over soon, and Demidov will be in North America. David Reinbacher went through it during the 2023-24 season, while in Switzerland playing in the NL for EHC Kloten, another awful team, though much worse than SKA. Reinbacher was served well from his time playing in the top Swiss professional league, so the hopes are the same for No. 91 of SKA.

So, about the game

We will see what happens because Rotenberg is anything but traditional with his deployment of his players. Demidov has been on the third line in the past, playing fourth-line minutes, but getting one-minute power play shifts. Very strange, so the hopes

Demidov's versatility, hopefully, will come through in a big way, but Rotenberg's decisions will play a huge role.

So, if anybody has the burning question why keep Demidov in Russia, if he is going to suit up, skate in warmups, and then sit on the bench for the entire first period. It is baffling to me, that any coach of any organization would think essentially healthy scratching a player, by not playing him, while he sits on the bench and watches, is not toxic behaviour.

Zero minutes played after 20 minutes of play, and a full 20-minute shift stapled to Rotenberg's bench.

If I'm Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton - regardless of whether they show it or not, because they won't say it - I would be livid with the handling of Demidov this season. Montreal is fighting for their playoff lives, and Laval is looking to roll into the playoffs as the AHL's top seed. I feel like he could help one of the two, as he could SKA, with some offence to help compete for a Championship.

Demidov's second period was a little more promising, in that he saw the ice, though SKA failed to score in the middle twenty-minute frame. Playing three minutes and 20 seconds.

Hopefully, he calls on the 19-year-old a little more in the third period, with SKA trailing Dynamo 2-1. I think there is no need for Demidov to prove himself. But the chance that he created, all with limited ice time, shows you what kind of talent that he is.

I'm not sure there was a prettier play, but also a smart and tactical effort to try and draw his team even. Demidov is cerebral, and with time and space, he is one of the purest scoring chance generators on either team.

He will create when given the opportunity, but not allowing him to do that, is a detriment to the team, almost to the same level.

Dynamo just went up 3-1, with a power play tally, after a lengthy five-on-three advantage. The opposite of what Rotenberg should do is exactly what he seems most likely to do. I would be surprised if he didn't bench Demidov, in favour of the veterans, to try and force a comeback.

SKA drew a penalty, and in anticipation, I patiently waited for Demidov, who remained parked on the bench.

The former fifth overall selection in the 2024 draft, saw extremely limited time, and his team lost 3-1 in their playoff opener.