If all goes well, in a few months Ivan Demidov will be playing in North America. The CH prospect, whose contract expires with SKA at the end of this season, should make the jump to the other side of the ocean with a view to 2025-26.
He would be extremely surprising to see him this season, even for 1-2 games at the end of the season. His season in Russia will not end on time.
On the other hand, you will have noticed that I used the conditional at the beginning of the text. We know that this is the (very) likely scenario… but until it is done, things can change.
We know that at the moment, SKA is putting pressure on Demidov to encourage him to stay. THE kid refused offers to extend his contract, and he was punished by giving him very little ice time.
However, according to comments reported by Championship (a Russian media), it is not only the team that is pushing for Demidov to stay in Russia next year: Evgeny Kuznetsov would very much like the youngster to play with SKA again next year.
The two guys have great chemistry on the ice, and the veteran would like to continue playing alongside the youngster next year.
Obviously, for the CH, this is a situation that needs to be monitored. We know that SKA is already putting a lot of pressure on Demidov, and if his teammates start to get involved, it could start to be heavy on the youngster’s shoulders.
I don’t think Kuznetsov, who was exiled to the NHL when he was younger, will push very strong to force Demidov to stay… but who knows if he is the only one who thinks like that.
Because yes, there is a world in which Demidov, who remains cautious when it comes to talking about his season so far, says to himself that he could perhaps benefit from another year in Russia, if not This is to reduce the pressure he is under within his team.
This is not not the most likely scenario, and until proven otherwise, it remains improbable. That said, it’s still something to watch out for… and it demonstrates how well the CH is doing to continue building its relationship with him.
So we’ll see where all this takes us, but I imagine that at the moment, the leaders of the CH must be really eager for Demidov to have his feet in America.
And if that happens, Kuznetsov will not be able to follow him to America, he who is under contract for the next three seasons in Russia.
In burst
– The hope of the CH will not be at the CMJ. He will still be eligible next year, that said.
– What do you think?
– Patrik Laine teases Connor Hellebuyck.
– Phew.
– This will be something to watch out for.
