Sportsnet’s insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned on Saturday Night’s Headlines that members of the Montreal Canadiens staff, including general manager Kent Hughes, are headed to Russia to check in on one of their top prospects, Ivan Demidov.
For those unaware, Demidov, drafted fifth overall by the Canadiens in 2024, is playing with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.
After winning Rookie of the Month honors in September with eight points in ten games, the talented prospect has seen diminished ice time in October, sometimes playing only three minutes a night.
Even though Demidov has not spoken publicly about the brewing situation, SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg is blaming North American agents and journalists for overanalyzing his decisions regarding the team.
Related: Plot Thickens For Canadiens Prospect in KHL
Recently, he’s taken it a step further, saying that North Americans believe they can dictate player’s careers in the KHL, and it is one of the league’s biggest hassles every season.
Considering that Demidov is one of the top trending topics on KHL game nights, it’s no surprise to learn through Friedman that the Canadiens will put a group together and head over to Russia to check in on one of their top prospects.
Related: Canadiens: Demidov Punished?
According to the NHL insider, this move was always part of the plan to watch him and check in to see how he was doing.
However, this visit won’t satisfy fans since so many Montreal followers are calling for the club to buy out Demidov’s KHL contract and get him to North America before limited opportunities hinder his development.
As this situation is so fluid, it is a topic that many around the hockey community are following, so stay tuned for any new updates.
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