Kent Hughes goes to Russia with Vincent Lecavalier for the Ivan Demidov case
The Montreal Canadiens may have struck gold by selecting Ivan Demidov fifth overall last summer.
As reported by Marqueur.com, a downside for Montreal fans and management is that the organization currently has no control over his development in the KHL.
Indeed, Ivan Demidov's progress relies entirely on the decisions of SKA St. Petersburg's head coach, Roman Rotenberg who is known for being strict with young prospects on his roster.
Recently, it was revealed that Demidov's ice time has significantly decreased because the forward refused to sign a contract extension in the KHL and is hoping to make his North American debut next season.
This means that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have little influence over his development which would be an entirely different scenario compared to prospects playing for the Laval Rocket.
Nevertheless, Ivan Demidov is highly valued by the Canadiens' management, who seem to place a lot of hope in the young forward.
This is why representatives including Kent Hughes and Vincent Lecavalier, recently travelled to Russia to watch their prized prospect in action.
Interestingly, during the Canadiens' management visit, Ivan Demidov played nearly 11 minutes which is a season-high since November 11 2024 and this is a sign that Kent Hughes might stay in Russia for a while.
Ivan Demidov must appreciate the attention he's receiving, which can only help his eventual transition to Montreal next year and fans are undoubtedly eager to see him in a Canadiens jersey!
At just 19 years old, he scored 6 goals and 14 assists in 33 games this season, and this is despite limited ice time imposed by his coach.
| POLL | ||
Should Ivan Demidov sign up for the Montreal Canadiens this year? | ||
| Yes | 88 | 80 % |
| No | 22 | 20 % |
| List of polls | ||
