Ivan Demidov gets well-earned spot with SKA-St. Petersburg to start season

Everyone agrees that the best course of action for Ivan Demidov's development is to play in the KHL with SKA-St. Petersburg. There were concerns when Demidov revealed he could be the 13th forward. However, he began playing well in training camp, and it seems he's only getting better. Social media was a buzz today, with Demidov playing against his SKA team with the Russia U23 team, as he had many highlights against his club team. The U23 captain led his team to a shootout victory over SKA, and after the game, Roman Rotenberg revealed that Demidov earned a spot on the team and will be in the lineup for the season opener.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Rotenberg is putting Demidov in the lineup. If it were any other league, the decision would be a no-brainer and wouldn't even be a big story, but there were some concerns that the influx of older Russian professionals would knock a young player like Demidov back to the MHL.

Demidov's goal against SKA may have been the final nail in the coffin for Rotenberg's decision. He showed patience and poise to hold the puck and slide it past the goalie. Did he lose the puck and get lucky or did he attempt the Nikita Kucherov no-shot deke? We'll choose to believe it was on purpose.

It was a perfect end to the last game of the Puchkov Tournament after one of the most exciting and encouraging preseasons for a Canadiens prospect in a long time. The patience and poise we discussed earlier were on full display as he scored the shootout-winning goal against the team he will be suiting up for on September 5th. The reactions of the coaches and fans say it all.