Montreal Canadiens Top Prospect Ivan Demidov’s Future Unclear

The top player in the Montreal Canadiens prospect pool has already garnered much attention from the bevy of fans who are excited to see Ivan Demidov eventually make his way to North America.

And while his arrival date remains uncertain, recent events in Russia seem to indicate there’s a possibility he may not play the upcoming season with SKA Saint Petersburg. Before we delve into the developments surrounding SKA, I’d like to remind everyone that as of now, Demidov is set to play them during the 2024-25 season. The information we will present will paint a landscape that allows for changes, but this should not be considered an official report. More than anything, we’re just reading the tea leaves.

Domino Effect

The Carolina Hurricanes announced they’d be placing Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers Wednesday, with the intent to terminate his contract. This is a perfectly normal procedure for players and teams that have agreed it’s time to move on. But it carries a certain weight when it comes to the future of Demidov, as Kuznetsov is expected to sign a contract with SKA. This means the lineup, which is already among the best in the KHL, would become even more crowded.

You’ll note that SKA also owned the rights to a certain Matvei Michkov, but their coach, Roman Rotenberg, did not believe he had what it took to earn a permanent roster spot, and loaned him to HC Sochi for two consecutive seasons. Michkov was far and away the best player in the Sochi lineup, and Rotenberg’s coaching prowess is certainly not beyond reproach, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is that it’s difficult to crack a professional hockey lineup as an 18-year-old.

The Kuznetsov affair, not to be confounded with the slightly more famous Gouzenko affair, puts Demidov’s standing with the team into question. Demidov has already shown he’s much too talented to spend another year in the MHL, the Russian equivalent to the CHL. We also have to remember that Demidov cannot be loaned to another team this season, which means a Sochi-style change of scenery is out of the question.

Due to a relatively recent change in KHL  rules, SKA cannot loan Demidov because there’s only one season left on his current contract. You’ll remember Michkov had signed a three-year contract extension in SKA prior to the Flyers drafting him in 2023 and SKA once again loaning him to Sochi.

The official KHL rule on loaning players is as follows:

“From May 1 to December 27, a player can move on loan until the end of the current season, provided that his contract is valid for two or more seasons, including the current campaign.”

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

SKA is not without options. They could simply place Demidov in the VHL, the Russian equivalent to the AHL. The move would not be considered a loan. But as Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes recently pointed out during the end-of-year press conference, that’s not an ideal situation for the organization.

“This season coming up, he’s under contract at Saint Petersburg,” said Hughes. “If he’s playing in the KHL, that’s a great environment for him for a year. […] If he’s not in the KHL, we will have to see what our options are.”

Hughes won’t come out and say it, but the options are rather clear. If Demidov is not playing for SKA, the Montreal Canadiens would likely enter into negotiations to establish a transfer fee and secure his rights for the upcoming season, as the Flyers did with Michkov this summer.

Of course, all of this is premature. Demidov may very well earn a roster spot with SKA, and the dream of him coming to Montreal a year early will end almost as early as it began. But the situation is certainly worth monitoring as we start projecting lineups for both the Canadiens and the Laval Rocket next season.