Ryan Kennedy discusses some 2024 draft-eligible forwards who could transition to the NHL next season besides Macklin Celebrini. Ivan Demidov [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA3MjQxOTgzODg0Nzk3Mzk2/img_3054.jpg] Ivan Demidov With Russia isolated from the international hockey scene, NHL teams have had fits trying to get a beat on some of the top draft prospects from the powerhouse nation. Seeing a 2024 prospect live in Russia was practically impossible, so agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey decided to bring Russia to the NHL in the form of his own mini-combine for his clients in Florida. Thankfully, with the Stanley Cup final in town, I had a chance to pop by when the players skated - as did 40-plus scouts and GMs such as Calgary's Craig Conroy, Chicago's Kyle Davidson and Anaheim's Pat Verbeek. One of the biggest names at the event is right winger Ivan Demidov, the No. 2 prospect in our Draft Preview [https://thehockeynews.store/] issue and a big-time producer for SKA-1946 in Russia's junior league. Demidov didn't skate due to a lower-body injury, but he was expected to do some off-ice gym exercises later on. He was also a very popular interview for NHL teams in attendance and physically bigger than anticipated. I'm 5-foot-11 and, standing next to him, I can safely say Demidov is at least an inch taller than me (NHL Central Scouting listed him as 5-foot-11, 181 pounds, but they didn't have the chance to officially measure him like they did with other Europeans such as Finland's Konsta Helenius, for example). As he waits for the draft to unfold in Vegas at the end of the month, Demidov is enjoying his time in Fort Lauderdale. "It's pretty nice," he said. "It's a pretty nice city and I'm really happy to be here. I like the sun, I like the ocean - it's really good." Demidov also got to take in the first two games of the Cup final in Florida, where he finally got a taste of what 'The Show' is all about. "It was my first NHL game," he said. "It was crazy when Sergei Bobrovsky would make a save and the whole arena would chant 'Bob-by, Bob-by.' " While Demidov said he doesn't have an NHL idol, there are players he likes to watch that he believes he plays a similar style to: Jack Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov and Nikita Kucherov. He prides himself on his hockey IQ, agility and shot, while he wants to continue getting more explosive and adding to his skills. For NHL talent hawks, there's a lot to like about the kid already. "He has lived up to everything we expected from last year," said one scout. "He has those silky hands in tight, the ability to finish around the net and that heaviness on his stick. You see a lot of his goals where he's heavily contested by defenders and he still scores because he's a natural in tight." Demidov put up a stunning two points per game in the MHL this past season, while adding another 28 in 17 playoff games. His SKA-1946 squad won the championship and while he missed the final game due to injury, the right winger made a major impact throughout the post-season. "For me, the memory is against Spartak in the quarterfinal," he said. "We were losing 4-1 and I scored the game-winner in OT. That was an unbelievable memory." For the record, they were down 4-1 when Demidov scored the first goal of a hat trick, with the last of the three being the game-winner in OT to send SKA into the semifinal. Despite all his success, Demidov still had one unfulfilled goal for his season. "It was good," he said. "But I didn't get to play in the KHL." At this point, he turned to his translator for the first and only time to make sure he had the right hockey term: "It is what it is," he said. Nonetheless, 2024-25 will be his last year under contract with the organization. Now it's on to the NHL draft, where Demidov could go as high as second overall, but certainly among the top picks, depending on whether teams want skill up front or one of several star defensemen. I did have to ask, however, if Demidov had a chance to watch any highlights of Chicago's Connor Bedard this season. "Yeah, I watched him," Demidov said with a smile. "Those toe-drags were unbelievable. I really like to watch that." And for the record, Chicago does have the second pick overall... Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [https://info.thehockeynews.com/mail/microsites/951/1/gTeQVf?_gl=1*ustlbj*_ga*NjkyMzUxMy4xNjYzNjIwMzQ3*_ga_PK63FB1PME*MTcxMzUwOTExNi40NDguMS4xNzEzNTA5MjA5LjU5LjAuMA..].
