There is no questioning Ivan Demidov’s skill.
Click through a few highlights online and you’ll clearly see the 18-year-old is a talented playmaker, especially considering he’s coming off a campaign that saw him register 60 points in 30 games with SKA St. Petersburg’s junior squad before lighting it up in the post-season.
He’s so talented, in fact, that the Russian winger won’t be waiting long to hear his name called from the draft stage Friday night. With forward Macklin Celebrini a lock at first overall, this year’s draft really starts with the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 2 — and that’s where many mock drafts have Demidov going, right after San Jose brass officially make Celebrini a Shark.
But despite Demidov’s obvious talent, questions have followed him over the course of his all-important draft year. Because at a time when all eyes are on this year’s top prospects, few have actually been able to lay eyes on Demidov as he plies his trade overseas in the KHL’s junior ranks.
Unlike prospects playing on a North American junior circuit or in the NCAA, those skating in Russia aren’t easily viewed in-person. With travel to and through the country heavily restricted and beset by logistical, political, and safety concerns since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NHL teams have a limited presence in the nation and little to no opportunity to meet with players there or watch them in-person. Catching a glimpse of Russian prospects during international tournaments is ruled out, too, as the International Ice Hockey Federation banned Russia and Belarus from participating in IIHF competitions in 2022 (and upheld the decision in April). All of this is enough to wonder whether NHL teams have been able to get enough of a sense of Demidov to add the necessary context to the highlight reels.
Up until last week, when Demidov’s agent, Dan Milstein of Gold Star Sports Management Group, flew the star prospect to Florida for a special pre-draft showcase, Demidov hadn’t met with a single NHL franchise. There was even confusion about his physical measurements, as he didn’t attend the scouting combine earlier this month either, though any potential concerns about his size were put to bed when the measuring stick read just over six feet tall.
Another big question has to do with Demidov’s KHL contract status and how soon he’ll be able to join the club that calls his name from the draft stage. That NHL teams have no control over the development of players in the KHL — their ice time, training programs, etc. — is another major concern when dealing with top prospects. Hockey fans have watched a similar situation play out all season with another talented Russian winger, Matvei Michkov, whose own KHL contract made him a wild card in last year’s draft — he was signed through 2025-26 when the Flyers drafted him seventh overall. (Following much speculation, SKA St. Petersburg officially terminated the remaining two years on Michkov’s deal on Tuesday, which allows him to sign with Philadelphia for next season.)
Demidov, though, is not signed long-term in Russia. He has one year remaining on his contract with SKA St. Petersburg and, according to a longtime Russian hockey executive and scout, he is “absolutely” expected to make the jump to North America next spring. Asked whether the perceived risk of Demidov remaining in Russia beyond next year — should he be pressured to re-up his KHL deal or detained for any other reason — could cause him to fall in the draft, the scout said no, believing that Demidov’s draft stock “will not suffer.”
“He has made the decision to leave Russia when his contract expires,” says the scout, who has spoken with Demidov. “He is committed to honouring [his] contract and coming to North America after it expires.”
While scouting Russian players — even prospects as hyped as Demidov — has its challenges, the scout says his job has been business-as-usual of late. “People understand that players want to get to the highest level of their ability,” he says. “They don’t judge if that means the player wants to be in the NHL. And they don’t judge the NHL scouts for doing their job.”
As far as his own scouting report goes, he’s clear about Demidov’s talent. The scout calls Demidov a “pure hockey player,” highlighting his ability to beat opponents one-on-one and generate chances all over the rink thanks to his agility, elite skill, and “fantastic vision” that makes him just as dangerous along the boards or net-front as he is in open ice. While his skill is the star of the show, he’s also got plenty of penalty-kill potential and can grind out a shift if he needs to.
His is the kind of playmaking that makes the idea of pairing Demidov with last year’s top pick, Connor Bedard, as Chicago’s new one-two punch up top so enticing. If the Blackhawks opt for a No. 1 defenceman, instead, Demidov would also be an intriguing fit among the Ducks’ young, skill-heavy core. Few mock drafts have him slipping out of the top three.
What separates him from his peers, says the scout, is simple: “He’s more talented than any other player in Europe.” According to the scout, Demidov grew up putting in plenty of work with his dad, who oversaw his training, and brother, Semyon, who plays professionally for SKA-Neva St. Petersburg of the VHL, the second-highest level of hockey in Russia.
While younger, still-developing players — as well as those playing on the final years of their deals — are often loaned elsewhere in the Russian league, the scout believes we could see Demidov with the big club in St. Petersburg next year.
“Demidov is such a special player that he might not be loaned to another team even though he is in his last year of his contract,” he says, noting that league rules state the club must dress two players under the age of 20.
That technicality may be a factor in St. Petersburg’s decision, but ultimately it will come down to the same factor that drives a club to call his name Friday night: “He’s just too good to play for another team.”