Montreal Canadiens fans wish the team will contend for a playoff spot this year. However, the early predictions say they are still two years away from being up there with those teams. If that's the case, the Canadiens could be in the running for another Russian-born player with their first-round draft pick. James Hagens is the top prospect for next year's draft, but Ivan Ryabkin is a prospect who will sit around Montreal's range. This article is a series that looks at first-round prospects for Canadiens fans to monitor during this upcoming season. Fans can watch Ivan Ryabkin with Dynamo Moskva in the MHL in 2024-25, the same league where Ivan Demidov starred last season.
Ryabkin was a quality player in the NHL last season after dominating at the U17 level. He played six games with Dynamo in the Russia U17 finals, scoring eight goals and 11 assists in six games. However, his performance in the MHL turned some heads, recording 24 goals and 34 assists in 44 games. In comparison, Demidov had 19 goals and 43 assists in 41 games in the season before his draft year. Demidov had four more points in three fewer games, but the prospect of getting another Russian star to put with him has to be intriguing.
Here's two minutes of Ivan Ryabkin, the top Russian ahead of the #2025NHLDraft.
— dylan griffing (@GriffingDylan) July 4, 2024
Unlike Matvei Michkov and Ivan Demidov, Ryabkin was too young to play in the MHL in his DY-2, so this was his debut season.
He finished with 24 goals and 34 assists in 58 games played. pic.twitter.com/Svz5kGvVrx
Ryabkin's release is one of his game's strengths, evidenced by his 24 goals in 44 games last season. He is also a strong skater who can create individual scoring chances with high-level hands and puck skills. He may not be known for his assists totals, but he has above-average vision.
Montreal Canadiens Fit
I feel that Ryabkin could be next year's Demidov for Canadiens fans. Ryabkin will fall far enough that he is a possibility for the Canadiens, as I expect them to be picking in the 5-10 range again next season. Fans who loved the Demidov pick will see Ryabkin and think there's a natural fit for the Russian.
It's easy to imagine a combination of Ivan and Ivan for the next 15 years in Montreal. Demidov setting Ryabkin up for high-danger scoring chances could create a one-two punch in the NHL that hasn't been seen.
A lot is made of the Russian factor when NHL teams are drafting, but it feels like two Russian-born players a year apart going to the same team could create a comfortable fit for both players and make them more likely to settle in and come to North America.