Could Demidov leave for Montreal earlier now that Kuznetsov has recently been signed?

Montreal Canadiens 2024 draft pick Ivan Demidov has one year left on his contract in Russia, meaning he could head to North America at the end of the 2024-25 season.

However, with the recent acquisition of Evgeny Kuznetsov by his KHL team, there may simply be too many forwards and not enough spots for them to play. Given Demidov’s age and experience, he seems like the obvious choice to remain on the outside. If that is the case, it would seem ideal for Kent Hughes to sign Demidov and bring him to Montreal to acclimate to North American ice.

SKA St. Petersburg is loaded with forwards and with Demidov being the youngest, they will probably want to go with a veteran lineup. This would ensure that they are competitive and have a shot at a KHL championship. If they go with Demidov, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t hope to win, but they should focus on development.

After being drafted, the plan for Demidov’s 2024-25 season was to play in Russia to fulfill his contract. However, if there is no spot for him at SKA St. Petersburg, then it seems counterproductive to have him play at a lower level overseas. I’m sure Hughes and Jeff Gorton would agree that Demidov would be best suited to play on North American ice in a more competitive league.

If he has the option to play in the KHL, that’s one thing and it’s worth staying in Russia. But if not, it would be ideal for him to play in Montreal or Laval, depending on how training camp goes. If he’s not needed in Russia due to a loaded forward core, he’d certainly be welcome in Montreal.

Montreal hopes to be competitive, but there is a big emphasis on development, so it would be the perfect environment for Demidov. With Juraj Slafkovsky having struggled in year one and finding his feet in year two, Demidov can lean on the veteran (20 years old). Not to mention there are plenty of other young guys coming in and it wouldn’t hurt to acclimate to the group sooner rather than later.