Another day, another highlight from Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov.
Drafted fifth overall by the Habs this summer, Demidov has been scoring up a storm since making his KHL debut with SKA Saint-Petersburg.
Coming off a four-point game with the club last week, the 18-year-old was back in action in Monday’s game against Sibir Novosibirsk, and he did not disappoint.
While he didn’t light the lamp this time around, Demidov had the highlight of the night when he set up fellow Russian forward Evgeny Kuznetsov for a goal in the second period.
The young winger faked out Sibir’s goalie in the slot before capitalizing on a sweet no-look pass to set up the one-timer.
Gorgeous no-look pass from #gohabsgo Ivan Demidov to Evgeni Kuznetsov, and SKA take the lead.
What a pass. pic.twitter.com/Ne1AbVCgHb
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) October 28, 2024
This pass by Demidov to Kuznetsov š¤¤ pic.twitter.com/ZORXBadMzT
— KHL (@khl_eng) October 28, 2024
Canadiens fans on X were unable to contain their excitement while reacting to the picture-perfect play.
Habs fans right now pic.twitter.com/jVqqyPmFxy
— Guillaume Cournoyer (@CournoyerG) October 28, 2024
ELITE PASSER IVAN DEMIDOV pic.twitter.com/MRNpX5SENH
ā The Gargoyle (@Fake_CH_Facts) October 28, 2024
WHAT A PASS BY DEMIDOV !!!! GO HABS GO #Habs
— Joey LĆ©pine (@JoeyLpine) October 28, 2024
Demidov had the goalie beat on a breakaway earlier in the game, which resulted in a 6-3 win, but was stopped by the post.
Excellent chance for #gohabsgo Ivan Demidov, and it looks like a double post to keep it out. pic.twitter.com/FmILFkblVo
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) October 28, 2024
With his latest outing in the books, the Russian winger is riding high with 16 points in 20 games. What’s more impressive is that he’s put up nine points in SKA’s last six games, scoring all of them at even strength.
But despite being named the KHL Rookie of the Week on three separate occasions and finding himself at the helm of countless showstopping plays, Demidov has seen his ice time cut by head coach Roman Rotenberg on multiple occasions, leading to some frustration overseas.
āWeāre considering the opinions of our colleagues [in Montreal], but we are focused on our own needs, our tactics, and how our players are feeling,ā Rotenberg said a few days after Jeff Gorton, the Canadiensā executive VP, made it clear that he wanted to see the young winger get more playing time.
According to a recent report from Sportsnetās Elliotte Friedman, Montreal GM Kent Hughes is planning a trip to Russia in the coming weeks to see how things are going for their top prospect.
With less than a year remaining on the player’s contract, it’s safe to say Habs fans are patiently awaiting his arrival to the NHL.
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