The last time Scott Wheeler released his Top-100 list of the league's best-drafted prospects, Montreal Canadiens' first-round pick Ivan Demidov was second. It was nothing to hang his head about, as the top spot belonged to Macklin Celebrini, who became an instant star for the San Jose Sharks this season.
With Celebrini "graduating" to the NHL, Wheeler had to find a new person to put in the No. 1 spot, and it only made sense to slide Demidov into the position. Demidov has only been improving this season, turning limited ice time into being the second-leading scorer on SKA-St. Petersburg. Demidov is averaging under 13 minutes per game this season, but that number has jumped to games between 18 and 20 lately.
Wheeler's list is behind The Athletic paywall, but it's worth a read if you have a subscription. He goes on for three paragraphs about the effect Demidov has in the KHL this season and how he'll perform with the Canadiens (hopefully) next season. We won't reveal everything Wheeler says about Demidov, but here are some of his best quotes.
"[Demidov] profiles as a point-per-game, first-line, all-star-level winger. I truly believe he's going to mesmerize in the prime of his career in the NHL."
"He's got elite handling (though he can get himself into trouble trying to beat two or three guys in a crowd, he also often beats multiple guys in a sequence and has a major highlight reel quality) and has made more one-on-one skill plays over the last two seasons in the MHL and now KHL than almost any prospect I've scouted for any draft."
"He’s got brilliant individual talent, but I’ve also heard good things about his work ethic on and off the ice. He's in great shape and he has developed some layers to his game so that he’s not a one-trick pony as a dancing offensive-zone player."
You may not agree with everything Wheeler says, but cut him some slack, as he has the difficult job of scouting every NHL prospect and he can't appease every fanbase. The guy knows his stuff, and despite us not needing anyone to tell us how good Demidov could be, it's still nice to see him be No. 1 on this prestigious list.
Other Canadiens cracking the top-100
Demidov wasn't the only Canadiens prospect who made Wheeler's list. The Canadiens had five players on the list, which you must remember is only for skaters. There was also a certain Canadiens goaltending prospect who cracked the top five of Wheeler's goalie list.
David Reinbacher was the next Canadien on the list, ranking 24th and seventh among right-shot defensemen. Michael Hage came third as the 35th-ranked player and 11th center.
Logan Mailloux was another right-shot defenseman on the list, ranking 14th in that category and 58th overall. Joshua Roy rounded out the Canadiens portion of the list as the 13th right winger and 82nd overall.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals led the way with seven ranked prospects, followed by the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, and Nashville Predators with six each. The Canadiens were in the next group but also had Lane Hutson owning "graduated" status.