The small sample size provided at the end of the 2024-25 campaign truly was an indicator of things to come in Ivan Demidov's NHL career.
Despite losing out on the Calder Memorial Trophy to New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Demidov's first full season in Montreal was nonetheless a massive success. Not only did he record the fifth-most points of any Habs player this season with 62, but he also recorded the most points for any rookie in the NHL during the 2025-26 campaign. Demidov finished two points clear of Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke and three ahead of Schaefer.
19 of the 62 points recorded by Demidov were goals, while the 47 assists added were the joint-third-most of any Habs player during the 2025-26 season alongside winger Juraj Slafkovsky.
Demidov also scored seven times on the power play while recording 20 total points on the power play. He also recorded four game-winning goals.
Alongside his point-scoring, Demidov also recorded just over 15 minutes of ice time per game. His 15:30 played per game was an increase of almost two minutes from the two-game stint he had to close the 2024-25 campaign.
Even though he had a strong regular season, his second postseason campaign was a little more jittery. His performance in the Habs' first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning saw him record just one assist while posting a -2 +/- rating. But his postseason turned around during the second round against the Buffalo Sabres.
That series saw him record at least a point in five of the series' seven games; he posted two goals and four assists for a total of six points during the Sabres series. During the Eastern Conference Finals, Demidov recorded a goal and an assist as the Habs fell to the Canes in five games.
Ivan Demidov's grade for 2025-26 season: A
The ability for the Habs' offense to remain consistent was a major issue during the playoffs, but that's not entirely on Demidov. Outside of Nick Suzuki, not many Habs could find timely offensive production, let alone doing so on a consistent basis.
Besides the postseason, Demidov was able to build off of his strong stint at the end of the 2024-25 campaign and, in doing so, put together one of the Habs' better rookie seasons in recent memory. His postseason performance will hurt his grade, but Habs fans should keep that separate from his regular-season performance. Demidov has a bright career ahead of him, and the ability to display that potential in the postseason will come with time and experience.
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