2024 draft, pick 5: Ivan Demidov

[DON]

Cant imagine anyone isnt pleased with the 1st round choices.

When Verbeek picked Sennecke, was pretty pumped knowing Lindstrom or Demidov would be still be available. 

[tomh009]

3 minutes ago, DON said:

Cant imagine anyone isnt pleased with the 1st round choices.

When Verbeek picked Sennecke, was pretty pumped knowing Lindstrom or Demidov would be still be available. 

And I was even more pleased when CBJ picked Lindstrom.

[hab29RETIRED]

51 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

And I was even more pleased when CBJ picked Lindstrom.

Ditto!

[DON]

4 hours ago, tomh009 said:

And I was even more pleased when CBJ picked Lindstrom.

Still didnt know Hughes would take him. Which in hindsight wasnt in doubt.

 

Canadiens dream draft scenario comes to fruition with Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage - The Athletic (nytimes.com)

 

"That fear was so real, general manager Kent Hughes and executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton purposely did not attend the Gold Star camp in Fort Lauderdale last week, forgoing an opportunity to talk to Demidov, because they didn’t want to tip their hand, didn’t want other teams to know how much they liked him, how badly they wanted him."

...

"In the end, there was never any doubt in the Canadiens’ mind that Demidov was the player they wanted. And this dated back even to last year’s draft when they took defenceman David Reinbacher with the No. 5 pick."

[JoeLassister]

Still pumped as #### !!

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Yeah I’m really pumped about Demidov too. I’ve been reading everything I can about him and everything is glowing. 
 

The one thing I noticed is that he has the same attitude as Slafkovsky. Both those guys don’t just want to win, they EXPECT to stars. 
 

I can’t wait 

[hab29RETIRED]

4 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Yeah I’m really pumped about Demidov too. I’ve been reading everything I can about him and everything is glowing. 
 

The one thing I noticed is that he has the same attitude as Slafkovsky. Both those guys don’t just want to win, they EXPECT to stars. 
 

I can’t wait 

I think he's our most skilled draft pick since Lafleur! This is one of those picks I'm been waiting for since the early 80's. Can't wait until the 2025-26 season! I was really hoping we'd also get Eiserman, but Hage looks like he is a great pick as well. 
 

I really hope Hughes picks up a legit top 6 scoring winger for this year as well. Need to hope for a healthy Dack and Newhook and see if they can be part of a cup core going forward.
 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

4 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

I think he's our most skilled draft pick since Lafleur! This is one of those picks I'm been waiting for since the early 80's. Can't wait until the 2025-26 season! I was really hoping we'd also get Eiserman, but Hage looks like he is a great pick as well. 
 

I really hope Hughes picks up a legit top 6 scoring winger for this year as well. Need to hope for a healthy Dack and Newhook and see if they can be part of a cup core going forward.
 

 

I dread having Anderson playing on the second line so I really hope HuGo still adds another top 6 forward this summer. 

[tomh009]

43 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I dread having Anderson playing on the second line so I really hope HuGo still adds another top 6 forward this summer. 

I think that even without Demidov, St-Louis has enough options for the second line to not have to resort to Anderson. With Dach at centre, he could use some combination of Newhook, Roy, Armia and Beck. Although one of Beck and Newhook probably should play 3C.

 

But maybe there will be a move yet. We do have too many young LD so Hughes just needs to find the right trade partner.

[alfredoh2009]

10 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Yeah I’m really pumped about Demidov too. I’ve been reading everything I can about him and everything is glowing. 
 

The one thing I noticed is that he has the same attitude as Slafkovsky. Both those guys don’t just want to win, they EXPECT to stars. 
 

I can’t wait 

I also noticed the volubility, similar to Slaf’s.

 

Seems like a home run!

[GHT120]

9 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

I think that even without Demidov, St-Louis has enough options for the second line to not have to resort to Anderson. With Dach at centre, he could use some combination of Newhook, Roy, Armia and Beck. Although one of Beck and Newhook probably should play 3C.

 

But maybe there will be a move yet. We do have too many young LD so Hughes just needs to find the right trade partner.

I doubt Beck makes the jump straight to the NHL ... and unless traded, Dvorak is the 3C

[DON]

They were pretty insterested in the kid and Mitchkov.

 

Canadiens NHL Draft notebook: The value of live viewings, Hutson’s view of the rebuild and more - The Athletic (nytimes.com)

 

"Not only did Bobrov meet several times with Demidov and his family, but he got to see a side of him that does in fact shine through on video, but is only accentuated when you are there in person."

 

But when you watch him work in practice, you get even more excited because he would be in a very unique category of people who just never stop. So that’s very impressive.”

 

Bobrov’s father, Sergei, has been a scout for SKA Saint Petersburg for 15 years. He had insight on Matvei Michkov most other teams did not have, and he also had insight on Demidov.

 

“We’ve known Ivan for a number of years now because of my dad’s position and knowing young players in that organization is a big part of his job,” Bobrov said."

[tomh009]

Forgot about Dvorak! But still enough forwards to not have to resort to Anderson.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

7 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

I think he's our most skilled draft pick since Lafleur! This is one of those picks I'm been waiting for since the early 80's. 
 

 

 

I was thinking about this…when was the last time the Habs drafted someone who, by consensus of draft analysts, had really high-end, elite offensive (even “superstar”) potential? We ALWAYS seemed to get guys with asterisks attached, or else - much more common under Timmins - we got “safe” players where the word was “yes, he’ll be a darned good 60-point guy.”

 

Reinbacher: “yes, minutes-munching all around D-man, probably a #2 defender in the NHL.”

Slaf: “late-rising choice, big body, will probably be a 60-point power forward.”

KK: “Habs needed a C, he will probably be a good, big, rangy 60-70 point guy.”

Caufield: “scoring machine, but small, can he hold up?”

 

The last one who had true “star” profile was (gulp) Galchenyuk. But the word on Gally was not nearly as electrifying as the discourse around Demidov and also came the asterisk that he’d missed a year of development due to injury.

 

And before that, you have to go back to Lafleur himself. Savard, despite being an excellent GM who made many great picks, mostly wasted his first-rounders on plodding FWs with size. (Koivu was a brilliant pick, but again, asterisked by concerns over size). Houle was an idiot. Gainey tried but his big swing at FW was that idiot Andrei Kostitsyn. 

 

Demidov may or may not achieve his potential. But FOR ONCE we have the guy who is universally agreed to be an absolutely elite, high-impact offensive prospect. 

 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

1 hour ago, tomh009 said:

Forgot about Dvorak! But still enough forwards to not have to resort to Anderson.

Marty had options last year too but Anderson continually found himself with top minutes. 
 

Newhook - Dach - Anderson is what I expect barring a trade

[tomh009]

2 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Marty had options last year too but Anderson continually found himself with top minutes. 
 

Newhook - Dach - Anderson is what I expect barring a trade

As I recall, in the latter part of the season he was mostly playing Anderson on the third line, with Newhook on the second line with Armia and either Roy or Gallagher. Or have I already forgotten?

[Prime Minister Koivu]

1 minute ago, tomh009 said:

As I recall, in the latter part of the season he was mostly playing Anderson on the third line, with Newhook on the second line with Armia and either Roy or Gallagher. Or have I already forgotten?

I think for the second half of the season he was with Newhook on the third line because Dvorak was hurt and Newhook was playing centre. 
 

Hey maybe Anderson rebounds this year 

[Commandant]

Anderson was used on the top line through December, when Slaf was put there and never looked back. 

 

The next couple months he was on the 2nd line. 

 

But at the end of the season, he wasn't with Roy and Gallagher/Armia being with Newhook, and then Armia and Gallagher after Roy got hurt. 

 

The end of the season definitely St. Louis had given up on Anderson as a top 6 guy. 

 

Doesn't mean he won't go back to it, but the last 25-30 games he wasn't a top 6 guy. 

[Sir_Boagalott]

On 6/29/2024 at 11:38 AM, tomh009 said:

And I was even more pleased when CBJ picked Lindstrom.

 

I really wanted Lindstrom and thats mainly because I figured Demidov would be taken before 5th.  At 1st I was still bummed that CBJ picked Lindstrom but then I remembered Timmins works for them so I realized the Habs got the better player for sure.

 

 

[Sir_Boagalott]

What about the funny rumor that was going around?  i.e. apparently, 1 team was accused of purposely spreading rumors about a player so he would drop to their spot so they could draft him.  Numerous people suggested it was the Habs so they could get Demidov. 

 

When I heard that I didn't believe it because it seems highly unlikely Hughes would do something like that.  However, is that something Bobrov might have come up with and done?  ex:  Demidov's weight and height were wrong - he is taller and heavier than what was originally reported. 

 

Due to the war in Ukraine it is hard for North American scouts to see young Russian players.  Did Bobrov somehow work with his dad and the Demidov's to put out false info on Ivan's stats?

 

Bobrov was asked if Demidov was a steal and he replied that was understatement.  There is a possibility that Demidov might be as good a Celebrini and maybe even better.  After all, every scout got to see Celebrini play and very few if any have seen Demidov play.

 

 

 

[hab29RETIRED]

24 minutes ago, Sir_Boagalott said:

What about the funny rumor that was going around?  i.e. apparently, 1 team was accused of purposely spreading rumors about a player so he would drop to their spot so they could draft him.  Numerous people suggested it was the Habs so they could get Demidov. 

 

When I heard that I didn't believe it because it seems highly unlikely Hughes would do something like that.  However, is that something Bobrov might have come up with and done?  ex:  Demidov's weight and height were wrong - he is taller and heavier than what was originally reported. 

 

Due to the war in Ukraine it is hard for North American scouts to see young Russian players.  Did Bobrov somehow work with his dad and the Demidov's to put out false info on Ivan's stats?

 

Bobrov was asked if Demidov was a steal and he replied that was understatement.  There is a possibility that Demidov might be as good a Celebrini and maybe even better.  After all, every scout got to see Celebrini play and very few if any have seen Demidov play.

 

 

 

Bobrov isn't the one to release height/weight info for Russian players🙄

 

Player height/weight are usually on the last official measurement. Unless someone has an obvious huge growth spurt, updated height weight isn't officially made available until the combine - which the Russians can't attend. So there was no update to Demidov's measurements until some Russian players were made available by their agent in Florida. Bobrov may have had inside knowledge about his weight/height - but he wasn't the one providing that information.

 

I heard more about misinformation about some of the D prospects, and the type of information that usually is spread is usually more character related - like Michkov.

[Habsfan]

I gotta say, even more than a week later, i'm still pumped about this pick. My question to y'all is; do you think Demidov will become a legit 40 goal/90 point player?

[DON]

3 minutes ago, Habsfan said:

I gotta say, even more than a week later, i'm still pumped about this pick. My question to y'all is; do you think Demidov will become a legit 40 goal/90 point player?

Same.

40+g seems realistic if pre-draft hype is close to correct, not sure about the 90pts though?

Cant wait to see, till then just hopes he gets some regular icetime in KHL and not the MHL.

[Commandant]

He's gonna score 100. 

[hab29RETIRED]

47 minutes ago, Habsfan said:

I gotta say, even more than a week later, i'm still pumped about this pick. My question to y'all is; do you think Demidov will become a legit 40 goal/90 point player?

90 - hell, I'm hoping he will be a 100+ point guy and put up closer to Kucherov stats than our last 100 point guy Naslund!! I can't remember the last time we drafted a guy who is supposed to have his skill set. The year before Koivu joined the Habs, there was a lot of talk that the Habs finally dipped into Europe and got a highly skilled centre, but he was a later first round pick, and their was not nearly the amount of info or hype back than. He did surprise and was leading the league when he blow out his knee - but I don't think anyone ever expected him to become a top 10 point producer type of player. We have had hype at guys drafted as goalies, or D positions, but at forward, we have been drafting a lot of guys that can be "good" players - no one that was ever considered to potentially becoming one of the elite forwards in the league.