Ivan Demidov has been the best KHL rookie

The Ivan Demidov hype has gone beyond Montreal Canadiens fans, and rightfully so.

Kent Hughes prized selection at fifth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft has been nothing short of brilliant in his debut KHL season. He is expected to be a one and done, and with more consistent ice time the way he is handling the league is very telling. The Kontinental Hockey League is right there with the American Hockey League, so what he is doing is very telling,

Each week, the KHL releases their four stars of the week, a list compiled of the rookie, forward, defenseman and goaltender who performed best. Eeli Tolvanen set the current record for Rookie of the Week nominations with six during the 2017-2018 season. Demidov tied the record, and the season doesn't end until February 26, so it's safe to say he is in the perfect situation to set a record.

Demidov's season in the KHL has the chance to be chocked with plenty of accolades. He could potentially set the U-20 goals record, held by Kaprizov (20) and the points record, also held by Kaprizov (42) this season, he currently has 15 goals and 20 assists. Next season can't come soon enough, and Demidov will surely be a fan favourite, but he has unfinished business before heading to North America.

With the way the Canadiens have been playing, adding a guy like Demidov to the team next year is going to be a dramatic boost. The domino effect that he will cause to the lineup is going to increase the talent through the lineup. Moving Alex Newhook for example, down to the third line would dramatically improve the top-nine.

Surpassing Kaprizov's U-20 numbers would be a massive accomplishment, and if you take a look at the statistics, Kaprizov took off after his 2016-2017 season. Demidov, unlike Kaprizov, will play in the NHL sooner than Kaprizov did, which is peculiar when you consider what Kaprizov was doing in the KHL. Demidov sees some Jack Hughes, Nikita Kucherov and Kiril Kaprizov in himself, and I think he is going to have a similar impact to these guys if all goes well.

Joshua Roy, William Trudeau on IR

Laval Rocket forward Joshua Roy is expected to be out of the lineup for four to six weeks, after suffering an upper body. Roy collided with the boards behind the Utica Comets net, and he stayed down for a while. Roy has posted 14-13-27 through 33 games, which earned him an invite to the AHL all-star game, unfortunately, he will have to miss it.

William Trudeau was also placed on injury reserve by the Rocket, the club announced on Monday morning the defenseman is expected to be out for one to two weeks. Trudeau suffered a lower body injury after a body check on Comets forward Jack Malone. Trudeau is a bottom four defender for the Rocket, who has scored three goals and nine assists in 37 games.