Montreal Canadiens select Ivan Demidov No. 5 overall in 2024 NHL Draft
The Montreal Canadiens were never going to have a shot at Macklin Celebrini. But Russian superstar Ivan Demidov makes for one heck of a consolation prize up the middle.
On Friday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the Montreal Canadiens took the Russian forward in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, No. 5 overall.
Demidov spent the 2023-24 campaign in Russia’s top junior league, where he tallied 23 goals and 37 assists for 60 points in 30 games with SKA. Demidov also collected 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 17 MHL playoff contests. He also appeared in four games with SKA St. Peterburg’s top club in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) at the start of the season before getting sent back down to junior.
The 6-foot-1 winger, who was initially listed at 5-foot-10 before getting measured at a combine event in Florida earlier this month, possesses an incredible eye for the net and a lethal shot. Demidov has good two-way instincts, he is incredibly smart and competitive and is a puck hound who will do anything to snatch the puck off your stick. He can exploit weaknesses and errors with an active stick and make the opposition pay with offense.
Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis ranked Demidov as the second-best prospect in the draft.
“Demidov might be the most skilled player in this draft and could go as high as No. 2 to the Chicago Blackhawks. He finished the MHL regular season second in league scoring despite missing 24 games due to injury. At a 2.00 point-per-game average, no U-19 player has ever had a more productive season in MHL history, including Nikita Kucherov back in 2011-12. Demidov then dominated in the playoffs before getting injured, but it was a highly successful season, all things considered. From a pure talent perspective, we’re seeing one of the most creative, speedy, and offensively dominant forwards in quite some time. He’s been my No. 2 for most of the season and that won’t change.”
Montreal finished the 2023-24 NHL season in 28th place, missing the playoffs. They are slated to pick next with the No. 21 pick.