Andrei Markov on Ivan Demidov

There isn't a player for the Montreal Canadiens who has garnered more excitement and interest than Ivan Demidov, the Habs recent fifth overall selection.

Generally, a first round selection is bound to bring forth excitement because the players selected are viewed as the top 32 talents available. Demidov, however, was believed to be the second best forward in the draft behind Macklin Celebrini based on pure skill. Sure, Celebrini is going to have a long, successful career, but many scouts believe that Demidov has the potential to be a 100-point producer.

There aren't many wingers that are scoring at a 100-point pace in the NHL, so to be compared to any of them is impressive. Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin and Kirill Kaprizov come to mind and these guys are pillars for their franchises. So, for Craig Button to say that Demidov has Kucherov-esque talent, that speaks volumes.

That's not to say that he reaches that level, but for a talent evaluator like Button to say those kinds of things it's exciting.

Hard work will be best for Demidov

Andrei Markov, one of the Canadiens best defenseman from 2000-01 to 2016-17 gave his take on Demidov. If anybody knows what it takes to have a long and successful career in Montreal it is Markov. He played nearly 1,000 games there and was regarded as 'The General' on the blueline.

If Markov believes that Demidov has a very good chance to play for the Habs, then it's hard to imagine that he doesn't. Markov has seen the talent that the Canadiens have had and he also knows that talent alone doesn't necessarily translate to an NHL role. It seems that he knows Demidov, the fellow Russian has the talent, but he will need to work hard to get there.

When Demidov gets to the NHL, playing for the Habs will be the best memory that he has in his life. That is high praise about the Canadiens, which should get him excited. But there are pressures that come with playing in Montreal, that don't with other teams - speaking french specifically.

There is nothing saying that he won't succeed if he isn't as fluent in French as he is in Russian and English. But it will go a long way with the fanbase if he does learn how to have small talk in french. So long as he continues to work and show the character that got him drafted by the Habs, he should be just fine.