The 2025 offseason continues, and with the major events such as the NHL Entry Draft and free agent frenzy completed, the dog days of summer wear on as NHL management groups take a bit of a breather before training camps begin. In this series, I will try to investigate every Montreal Canadiens roster player, recap their last season and look ahead to this upcoming season. I will look at their place in the organization, their role and their possible impact.
Related: Montreal Canadiens: 3 Burning Questions Heading Into 2025-26 Season
In this edition, I will continue looking at the Canadiens’ forward group, this time with rookie forward Ivan Demidov
2024-25 Season Recap
Montreal selected winger Ivan Demidov with the fifth-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to every Canadiens fan’s delight. After the summer, Demidov returned to Russia and joined the Kontinental Hockey League’s (KHL) SKA St. Petersburg squad. Despite his highly-touted entry into that league and his high level of performance, Demidov was consistently demoted, had his ice time cut, or was simply benched. His ice time has varied from around three minutes to over 15 minutes per game, leading to concerns about his development and whether SKA St. Petersburg was prioritizing his growth or potentially punishing him for not re-signing.
Before he joined the Canadiens for the final two regular-season games, the young Russian forward set rookie and under-20 scoring records in the KHL while leading SKA St Petersburg in regular-season points with 19 goals and 49 points in 65 games. He broke the record of 42 points that was previously held by former Salavat Yulaeav Ufa product and current Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov, a record that stood for seven seasons, and did it all while averaging only 13:21 per game. He followed that up by leading his club in goals and points in the playoffs with three goals and five points in six games. The 19-year-old forward is poised to become a game-changing star for the Canadiens, something the franchise’s fan base has been clamouring for. That record-breaking season, done with limited ice time, led to him winning the KHL Rookie of the Year award.
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