By Russ Cohen
Ivan Demidov is the top Russian prospect as we get a bit closer to the 2024 NHL Draft. Don’t worry about what Russia says about not letting their younger players leave in the near future. Those things change over time, and Demidov will have to play out his contract with Ska St. Petersburg. With Dan Millstein representing him and saying that the future star is looking forward to playing in North America, it will smooth things over. I don’t think he drops more than one spot, maybe two, and that would still see him go in the Top Five.
Demidov is currently in the MHL, and he’s playing well. He has 10 goals and 11 assists in his first 15 games since returning from an injury. At 5’11” and around 170 pounds, he can win puck battles, and he’s not afraid to get near the net to score. He can be a playmaker or a scorer, and he can play right wing or center. I see him as a winger.
According to InStat, he is averaging 15:35 TOI and he is averaging six shots per game. 57% of his shots are hitting the net. He is a threat to score with his one-timer or being able to finish a play down low. Demidov gets a ton of power play time, that’s an average of 2:40. He’s only scored one goal from outside the circle so far, and he’s mostly scoring from the right side around the net going 5-10 feet out. Three have come with his backhand. So, he’s tricky.
Keep an eye on Demidov.
