Expectations will be high when Ivan Demidov comes in Montreal.
There has been a lot of buzz about him since the last selection, which is understandable given that many believe he should never have fallen to the Montreal Canadiens’ fifth pick in the first round.
Good for the Habs!
The Russian will continue his growth in his hometown next season, and it’s worth noting that his contract with SKA St. Petersburg ends at the end of the 24-25 season.
That said, it will be intriguing to see where he plays next season and when he returns to town.
Why am I saying this? Because the youngster can play center and wing as well.
In fact, he stated in an interview that he prefers playing center because it allows him to be more creative and have a greater perspective on the game.
He feels “more involved” in the game.
During the interview, the Canadiens prospect also said that he believed he might be the best player on the ice last season.
As a result, he’s developed confidence and understands how to handle a game.
But let’s return to his passion for playing center.
When you look at the Habs’ bank of natural centers who have the ability to make the squad in the long run, you notice that there is a certain amount of “congestion”:
Nick Suzuki is already established.
Kirby Dach
Alex Newhook
Owen Beck
Oliver Kapanen
Michael Hage
Joshua Roy (who played wing for the Habs past season)
That doesn’t include players like Aatos Koivu, Sean Farrell, Filip Mesar, and Xavier Simoneau.
I didn’t want to include them on my list since I don’t believe they have a good chance of playing in the NHL.
All of this to indicate that the Habs may have a lot of center players in the future, with some of them transitioning to wing positions.
The Habs will analyze each center independently to determine their effectiveness… Especially since we are discussing a challenging position in the NHL.
On the other side, knowing Demidov prefers to play center is useful because an NHL team can never have too many of them.
This is an additional tool in his toolbox. And it’s excellent news for the Habs.
