When the Canadiens select a player early in the draft, there are always a lot of expectations for him. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Alex Galchenyuk, Juraj Slafkovsky and David Reinbacher have not escaped this treatment from the people in Montreal.
This time, the pressure has reached a significant level for the fifth choice of the tricolor in the last draft, Ivan Demidov. He is now being compared to Guy Lafleur!
At least, that’s what Grant McCagg said during his appearance at Sick Podcast by Tony Marinaro.
I think he’s maybe the player with the most pure talent the Canadiens have drafted since Guy Lafleur. – Grant McCagg
It’s true that sometimes McCagg can get carried away and come up with big, surprising claims, except this time he’s not the only one to have said that.
A recruiter reportedly told Marco D’Amico to Montreal Hockey Now that Ivan Demidov has the best potential for a forward drafted by the Canadiens since Guy Lafleur.
When two people say it, you can’t really say it’s a crazy statement anymore. You have to go back a long way to talk about Guy Lafleur being selected in the draft. That was in 1971!
No pressure, my Ivan, but you are being compared to a player who collected 1353 points in 1126 NHL games and who also won five Stanley Cups.
This comparison is extremely flattering, but it must be remembered that Demidov was only born in 2005. He therefore prefers to compare himself to more recent players, whom he has seen play in the NHL.
Before the draft, Demidov compared his style of play to that of Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Hughes and Nikita Kucherov. We agree that it is not at the level of Guy Lafleur, but the fact remains that we are talking here about players who are part of the NHL elite.
Guy Lafleur was excellent, but he was also able to perform under pressure. When you hear your name repeated by thousands of people in an amphitheater, you have to feel a little pressure. However, it seems that Demidov is ready for that.
He even begged the Canadiens organization to offer him this opportunity, according to Nick Bobrov!
Sure, “Ivan! Ivan! Ivan!” sounds less good than “Guy! Guy! Guy!” We’ll find a way to cheer him properly.
A lot of
– Kent Hughes is betting on the future.
– No chance.
– Oilers extend Stecher’s contract.
– A page that turns for the Warriors.
