10 Reasons to be excited about the Habs in 2024-25 - #8: Ivan Demidov's KHL season

Few things are more exciting than what is happening with the Montreal Canadiens in the Montreal area - Laval Rocket and Canadiens.

But what is happening with Ivan Demidov is right at the top of the list of intrigue, although he is playing more than 8,000 kilometres from the Bell Centre. Demidov's preseason tournament was watched with undivided attention and when he made his KHL team - SKA St. Petersburg, the fanbase was in the loop. His play has been analyzed and the positives are exactly why he earned a role in the KHL, despite the veterans at the organization's disposal.

His offensive skills jump out right away, it's hard not to notice how talented he is with the puck. He skates so smoothly and handles the puck like a wizard. But he also puts in work away from the puck and never lacks effort shift after shift, on both sides of the puck.

One and done?

The hope is that Demidov plays one season in the KHL, so he can adapt to the speed and skill of professional hockey. But after a year there, should things go well, he should be heading to Montreal to adapt to the North American game. The preseason isn't completely telling because the games aren't recorded for points and the rosters aren't complete, but Demidov looked dominant.

If early signs point to anything, it would appear that Demidov is poised for a big year, perhaps one where he takes the league by storm. All signs point to him fitting in just fine and gaining plenty of confidence throughout the season. I think that he will have to work harder and choose when and where to make the fancy plays, which will prepare him to make the jump to Montreal.

But there hasn't been a player with more pure skill than Demidov, who has come through Montreal in some time, so when he is available, I expect that Kent Hughes will have him over as soon as possible. There is no rush, as we have seen rushing players can harm their development. But, should he prove ready, like Lane Hutson did last year, it would be tough to justify keeping him out of the lineup.