Scout's Analysis: Progress report on Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov

With the NHL season at its quarter mark, the teams that will be in the running for a potentially franchise-altering top five draft slot in June are beginning to come into focus.

At last year's draft the Montreal Canadiens selected uber talented forward Ivan Demidov fifth overall and were bursting with excitement over the pick. Demidov was the second-ranked player on my year-end list, so I believe Canadiens fans should be excited about what the future holds with the player.

Earlier this season I provided an update on Demidov's progress in Russia when he was through his first 10-game segment. Now 30 games into the season -- and 20 points on the season -- I wanted to revisit how he's doing to share some insight with Canadiens fans, whose team is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

DEVELOPING AS AN NHL PROSPECT IN THE KHL

Prospect development in the KHL is never conducted on a straight line. Teams in the league have very little patience, or commitment, to identifying how best to develop a player for the NHL. They are only concerned about wins and losses in Russia’s top pro league. It’s very difficult for a young player to earn the trust of Russian coaches and their organization, so they are provided limited opportunity and must play to their strengths at all times. And Demidov plays on one of the top teams in the league, SKA St. Petersburg.

In his most recent 10-game segment Demidov has averaged 12:03 of ice time per game, with the bulk of it coming at even strength. Very rarely did he see any power play time in the segment and he doesn’t kill penalties.

His average ice time is a bit misleading, however. When I broke down the segment, he skated over 16 minutes against Sochi and Sibir, two bottom feeders in the league, compared to only 6:44 versus higher ranked Torpedo on November 21.

In that context, Demidov's stat line over the past 10 games shows two goals, two assists, 40 shot attempts, and a minus-1 rating in 160 shifts.

PACE, SKILL AND DRIVE

When I watch Demidov play I can’t help but be impressed with his strength, speed, skill and drive in the hard areas of the ice. He transitions pucks quickly through the neutral zone and attacks the net when he gains the edge. He extends plays along the boards, works off the cycle and produces scoring chances for his group with vision and creativity. 

Here’s a clip that displays all of the above.

Demidov corrals a puck along the boards at the top of the Torpedo zone. After possession is set for his group, he extends the play down the wall with sound body positioning versus a defender. His small area escape leads to a nice cross seem pass to his defenceman sliding through the back side of the zone. The play ends up moving below the goal line where Demidov finishes his check before working his way to the top of the zone. He eventually gets a scoring chance himself and, while he didn’t cash in on the opportunity, the entire sequence was very positive. 

The first shift after a goal for, or goal against, is always important. It maintains or creates momentum for the team, or stops the opponent from building up their own. In the next clip, Demidov takes control after SKA had just been scored on the shift before. Notice how Demidov powers off the boards and protects the puck heading to the net for the tuck. 

AREA OF IMPROVEMENT

The defensive side of the puck continues to be a work in progress for Demidov and his margin for error is razor thin this season. When he makes a mistake defensively, he is immediately held accountable by the SKA coaching staff.

On one hand it makes sense to hold a prospect to a certain standard. On the other hand, there have been moments when everyone around him breaks down and he is the one made an example of. It’s part of the process in the KHL and it tests all young players. 

Having said that, I’m not letting Demidov off the mat when it comes to defensive awareness and execution. His compete is in place and he’s generally aware of his surroundings, but there are moments he needs to read and react better. He needs to be “on time” defensively.

The following clip has a lot to dissect from a team defence perspective. The entire five-man unit for SKA breaks down in several areas, but I’m concentrating on Demidov in the sequence. 

Demidov has to be more engaged with containing his man high in the zone and then reading the high cycle “switch” that occurs. He initially loses his man going to the net, then gets caught puck watching as his new check (No. 10) is left free to wander through the slot. At the end of the sequence the puck ends up over the glass. This turned out to be Demidov’s last shift of the game because he was stapled to the bench for the remaining 15 minutes. 

SUMMARY

Overall, I’m excited to see Demidov arrive in North America. Hopefully he already has a contract “in the drawer” with the Canadiens. 

Demidov is plenty strong for the NHL game (6-feet, 192 pounds) and continues to display elite offensive skill with 6G-14A in 30 games now. Even more impressive is the fact he is producing his offence at even strength. Demidov has hopped over the boards for a total of 442 shifts this season and only 24 of those have come on the power play. 

Similar to what the Philadelphia Flyers are experiencing with their top Russian prospect, Matvei Michkov, the Montreal Canadiens will have to coach Demidov to buy in more defensively but I’m not concerned. Competing on defence, and being aware of what’s happening around you, is a choice. Demidov is plenty competitive and smart. I believe he will adjust to the NHL game. 

It’s impossible to teach skill. Coaches can nurture what the player has to work with, but the kind of elite skill set that Demidov possesses is a gift that should keep on giving for the Canadiens in the future.