Ivan Demidov, the next bomb in Montreal. No need to beat around the bush, this guy already belongs to the Canadian. No need for unnecessary speculation: his contract in Russia expires soon, and then it’s off to the Bell Center.
Hughes and Gorton pulled off a masterstroke in drafting him, and now all we have to do is wait.
Yes, waiting… a virtue that has never been the strong point of Montreal supporters. But hey, when you see what he’s doing in Russia, how can you not be excited?
Two goals in one game this week, an average of 1.5 points per game in the KHL, and all that at 19 years old. Seriously, he rolls over adults like he’s playing against Pee-Wees.
Watch it for yourself, his two goals in the first half are here:
That’s hockey. That’s what we expect of him in Montreal. No excuses, no “adjustment period”. This guy is ready.
He has it all: speed, vision, offensive flair, and an ability to transform his teammates into better players. So yes, we are impatient, and rightly so.
Hughes and Gorton know this. He’s not just a good player, he’s a generational player.
A guy who can single-handedly change the game. Just imagine a line with Suzuki, Caufield and Demidov. Yes, it makes you dizzy.
This is the kind of trio that could rewrite the history of the Canadian and shake the best defenses in the National League. No pressure, eh?
But let’s be honest: Montreal is a city where you go from hero to zero in the blink of an eye. As soon as it arrives, expectations will be stratospheric.
If Demidov doesn’t score three goals in his first match, we already know the headlines: “A Russian flop?”, “Hughes was wrong”, “Outside Gorton”.
It’s the endless cycle of this city where passion sometimes exceeds reason. But let’s be clear: this guy is special.
Not just by his raw talent, but by the way he plays. He has this thing that others don’t have, this ability to raise the level of everyone around him.
So yes, patience is required. But let’s be honest, what have we waited, ten years since the last real series?
We can wait a few more months to see a guy arrive who could change the trajectory of the team for the next ten years.
Hughes and Gorton are not getting carried away. They know they are holding a diamond in the rough. And frankly, we owe them that after all these years of suffering, right?
But make no mistake: Demidov will not be a savior. He will be a key piece, yes, but a team is not built around a single player.
We saw it with Connor McDavid in Edmonton. Individual talent is not enough. This is why the work of Hughes and Gorton around him is crucial.
Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, and even guys like Lane Hutson on defense – these are pieces that, together, could give the Canadian a legitimate chance to become a contender again.
And then there is the question of its integration. Young Russian players don’t always have an easy life in North America. But Demidov?
He has this character, this confidence which makes the difference. This is not a guy who will hide. He will make his way, he will dominate, and he will put the Bell Center in turmoil.
The last time we had such high expectations for a player in Montreal, it was perhaps for Alex Galchenyuk.
And we all know how it ended. But this time it’s different. Hughes and Gorton have shown they know what they are doing. It’s not just a hope, it’s a guarantee.
So, let’s get ready. Patience is a virtue, but in this case it will be rewarded. Demidov is not just a player.
It’s a promise. A promise that the next few years in Montreal will be nothing like what we have experienced recently.
A promise that finally, the dark days are behind us. And that’s something we can look forward to.
To be continued…
