The 2024 year was supposed to be different for the Montreal Canadiens. They believed their rebuild was starting to end, and they wondered whether 2024 would end with them looking ahead to a run at the playoffs in 2025. The year ended with a string of wins that elevated them to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they are still seven points behind in a playoff race. This series will examine how each player performed over the 2024 calendar year. Next up is top prospect Ivan Demidov.
Ivan Demidov knew he would be with some NHL organization after the 2024 NHL Draft. He also knew that he'd spend the rest of 2024 in the KHL, waiting for his contract to run out so he could decide whether to stay or come to North America. What Demidov didn't realize that his life was going to completely change when he slipped to No. 5 overall to the Montreal Canadiens.
Demidov is now the toast of the town in Montreal. He went from quietly playing out the last year of his contract with SKA-St. Petersburg to having it be the most followed KHL season in the league's history. Everyone is talking about Demidov's every move, wondering why Roman Rotenberg isn't playing him enough or why the Canadiens haven't made SKA an offer they couldn't refuse and buy-out the remainder of the contract.
It has been a tumultuous year for Demidov in Russia. He dominated in the junior league last season after failing to get in the lineup with SKA, but cracked the roster for this season. He struggled to get much ice time, which was well-documented by this site and others. However, Rotenberg's trust in the young star continued to climb through the months, and he is now playing over 15 minutes per game over the last three.
It was a good end to the year for Demidov. He has goals in four straight games, giving him seven points over the past five games. It seems like Demidov is entering 2025 in the best form of his young career, which is music to the ears of the organization that will soon give him his entry-level contract. There aren't many things you can guarantee, but Demidov's 2025 Year-in-Review on this site will almost certainly be about his first three months in a Canadiens or Laval Rocket uniform.