Ivan Demidov praise continues

Ivan Demidov extended his point streak to four games on Tuesday against Dynamo Moscow, with an assist on SKA's lone tally of the game by Ilya Karpukhin.

SKA fell 3-1 to Dynamo, but Demidov continued his impressive season, scoring his 45th point of the season. After breaking the U-20 scoring record, Demidov seems to have his focus set on the Gagarin Cup. There is also the U-21 scoring record (55 points in 2022-23 currently held by Carolina Hurricanes prospect Alexander Nikishin, and the U-22 record (62 points in 2019-20) held by Kaprizov, which are within reach for Demidov.

Demidov would need to score 10 points over SKA's final 14 games to tie Nikishin, which is very doable for him. The 62 points scored by Kaprizov as a 22-year-old is likely a little out of reach, but I wouldn't count Demidov out. Given the way he has played during his draft-plus-one season, scoring 17 points in 14 games isn't a stretch for the Sergiyev Posad native.

Regardless of whether he matches or surpasses Nikishin, it's pretty clear that Demidov is going to be an impact player for Montreal. As for Nikishin, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as the top blueliner in the pecking order for the Hurricanes. These statistics are mere KHL stats, and that doesn't always translate to the NHL, but the dominance at such a young age is very promising for the future.

Just ask Evgeny Kuznetsov what he thinks about Demidov and his potential in the future. Kuznetsov, whether you love him or hate him, was an elite talent in the NHL during the majority of his time with the Washington Capitals. I'm not suggesting that he is a talent evaluator, but I wouldn't bet against his knowledge of young talent.

Demidov, in the way I'm interpreting Kuznetsov's quote, is a guy who is well-prepared and focused on the task ahead. For now, that is helping SKA win as many games as possible, and compete for a Gagarin Cup before he departs Russia. Demidov has such high maturity and drive to be the best, which is what will help him elevate his game to NHL stardom if he wants it bad enough.

Hard work is the name of the game, and longevity in the sport comes from a relentless passion to be the best. Sidney Crosby trains to this day, as though somebody else is going to come through and steals his spot. Crosby has been in the league for 20 years, playing 1327 games over that time - winning three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe's and two Hart trophies - there isn't a secret formula, it's just hard work.

Alex Ovechkin gives advice to Ivan Demidov

Russian hockey royalty, and the eventual highest goalscorer in National Hockey League history, Alex Ovechkin discussed the Russian superstars of the future, in an interview obtained by Marco D'Amico for RG.org. Ovechkin seems impressed by what he has seen of Demidov, but he cautioned the young Russian phenom to avoid showboating. Something that he feels Matvei Michkov does a little too much of.

I think any player will hold the weight of Ovechkin's world very close to heart, but especially fellow countrymen who are just breaking into the league. An 82-game schedule is gruelling, but if anybody knows how to navigate it, it's the 'Great 8', who has been labelled as the Russian Machine that never breaks. Ovechkin has seemingly unlocked the key to longevity and sustained health, so he knows a thing or two.

Ovechkin certainly did his share of obnoxious goal celebrations during the first few years of NHL, in Don Cherry's eyes anyway. And while nobody ever kept him quiet or taught him a lesson, with his welcome to the NHL moment, over the years, his coaches have toned his personality on the ice down a little bit. I think it's for the better, too, because his way of playing in the past, huge hits and loud celebrations would rub the opposition the wrong way.

Nowadays a clean hit, if deemed as a huge hit, generally warrants the attention of the other team, often to the tune of having to drop the gloves. At the rate at which Ovechkin was scoring and hitting, he certainly got under the opponent's skin. You don't want the best goalscorer of the era, and eventually ever, to be fighting every game.

The same can be said for Demidov and Michkov, who are looking to enter the league and have an impact reminiscent of Evgeni Malkin and Ovechkin. But even if they don't, some other Russian guys have been darlings to their teams. Kirill Kaprizov is the current player in his prime, and if the 19-year-old (Demidov) and the 20-year-old (Michkov) reach his level, the league is going to have plenty of years to watch them dominate the NHL.