What’s Next
NHL projection: Demidov is being touted as one of the most talented Russian prospects in recent years, capable of making the impossible seem routine. He could be a top-line talent and a potential MVP candidate with a high-end projection of putting up more than 100 points in his prime.
Why CBJ should draft him: If he falls to four, it might be hard to say no. Demidov has the highest offensive potential in the draft, and he’d have a strong Russian contingent to lean into when he comes over to North America. It might be the right marriage of place and player.
Why they should not: In a word, risk. Demidov mitigated some of that when he arrived at his agent’s predraft camp last week, measuring in at over 6-feet and meeting with NHL teams. Still, his skating isn’t quite seen as elite, and he hasn’t played a ton of high-level hockey, making evaluation difficult for scouts. Would his skill get mitigated some at the NHL level?
In Demidov’s Words
“I think I’m a playmaker. I really like playing with the puck. I like shooting. I like passing. I’m all about agility. I love hockey. It’s good.
“My idols? I haven’t idols, but maybe players who are similar. Jack Hughes, I grew up a Kirill Kaprizov fan, Nikita Kucherov. I think Kucherov is very, very good at passing. About Jack Hughes, it’s all about deking. It’s very, very good. And Kirill Kaprizov, I really like his skating.”
(Comments from The Athletic)
The Experts Say
Looking around the Internet, prospect experts have given their take on Catton’s game. Here’s what a few of them have to say.
Chris Peters, FloHockey: He was a dominant force, but his lack of KHL games and an inability to get live viewings of him against top peers in international competition like his predecessors does create an element of risk with Demidov. To the eye, however, he’s a natural shot-pass threat player who always seems to make the right read and finishes plays with regularity. His skating is closer to average, but he still has the ability to skate with some power and use his strength to get to the interior. He’s hard to knock off pucks, too. In the level he played at, his off-puck play was mostly strong. He plays an aggressive game in puck pursuit and has made that a significant part of his game, which only helps him to get the puck back more.
Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News: There may not be a player in the 2024 NHL draft who plays a more electric brand of hockey than Demidov. The young Russian aims to play hockey in spectacular fashion. He sees the ice differently than most players. Whereas most players see passing lanes when they are there, Demidov manipulates them into existence and threads the puck into traffic as they open. It’s incredible to watch.
Sebastian High, Dobber Prospects: A fantastically creative, dynamic, intelligent, and potent winger, Ivan Demidov could develop into a perennial Top 10 scorer league-wide. He finds highly effective yet stunningly creative solutions to many problems he encounters, and leverages his variety of elite tools to do so – relying less and less on his handling to do all the heavy lifting for him. He’s an active player off-puck, prodding for holes and riding blind spots, even possessing a plus-level motor on both sides of the puck and a desire to get engaged defensively. But it’s with the puck on his stick where he shines brightest.
