The Anaheim Ducks will be selecting third overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. There are several directions the Ducks can take with making that pick and one of them is talented Russian forward, Ivan Demidov.

The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery was held on Tuesday, May 7, and was won by the San Jose Sharks who will be selecting first overall. The Anaheim Ducks will select third.

Anaheim Ducks Will Select Third Overall in the 2024 Draft

The undisputed top prospect the Sharks will almost certainly select is the standout Freshman center from Boston University, Macklin Celebrini. After Celebrini, there is an extremely murky tier of 5-10 players who could each make a case as the second-best prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft. Each of those players has one or two significant question marks, however.

This series will spotlight five of the most common names atop the rankings of expert NHL Draft outlets.

Ivan Demidov

Ivan Demidov is one of the more creative draft-eligible prospects in recent memory. He combines an unorthodox "10-and-2" skating style with remarkable puck skills, vision, and the desire to make the most effective play possible in any situation.

Demidov began the 2023-24 season playing limited minutes for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL where he didn't register a point in four games. He then played a game for SKA's MHL (U20) team and a game for SKA's VHL (second-tier professional) team but didn't register a point in either game. He finished the season playing the final 29 games of the season in the MHL. 

Demidov averaged two points per game in the MHL, scoring 23 goals and 60 points in 30 games total. During the MHL playoffs, he added 11 goals and 28 points in 17 games en route to SKA's MHL championship victory. 

Demidov suffered a knee injury late in the playoffs and was given a 6-8 week timetable for recovery and won't require surgery.

Demidov has one year remaining under contract with SKA St. Petersburg and has expressed the desire to make the transition to North America sooner rather than later.

The Potential Upside

Demidov may end up as the highest point producer from this draft class. He completely controls the game and pace of play with the puck on his stick.

He is a master of misinformation and is consistently thinking two or three steps ahead of defenders. With his open-hip skating style, he's able to survey the entire ice surface from the perimeter and can get pucks to dangerous locations seemingly at will, whether that comes in the form of finding a teammate with a seeing-eye seam pass or dangling a slew of defenders to create his own shot.

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Demidov's stick seems to be magnetized with the puck. He establishes body position on defenders and protects it for seconds at a time. He moves it to teammates as efficiently as anybody before hopping to open ice as a dangerous passing option again. 

The Potential Downside

Demidov was completely dominant in his draft year in the MHL. In fact, he probably shouldn't have even been playing in the MHL.

European professional leagues (like North American ones) are often hesitant to appoint young, offensively-minded players to significant roles in their organization. 

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Typically, for a 17/18-year-old player to warrant substantial minutes at the highest level, they have to display a two-way focus, presence, and impact. 

With Demidov, the question remains if he can translate what makes him so effective at the U20 level to a league with larger, stronger, and faster opponents who will take away the time and space he was afforded at lower levels.

The Potential Fit (with the Ducks)

The Ducks have one of the most potentially potent cores of young forwards in the NHL. Barring injury or unforeseen setbacks, Trevor Zegras (23), Mason McTavish (21), Cutter Gauthier (20), and Leo Carlsson (19) will all be set to play significant roles for the Ducks in 2024-25 and beyond.

By adding Demidov to that group, whether he'd play with two, one, or none of those players, the Ducks could roll out one of the highest-octane, entertaining, and dynamic forward groups in the NHL.

As a puck-dominant player who reads opposing breakouts surprisingly well, paring him with a battle-winning, high-motor center like Mason McTavish could bring out the best in both players. The same thing can be said for pairing him with someone like Cutter Gauthier, who draws players toward him with the puck on his stick and can find soft ice efficiently without it to present himself as a shooting option. 

The Ducks don't necessarily have a pressing positional need to fill at the top of the 2024 NHL Draft. If the Chicago Blackhawks (who hold the second overall selection) were to pass on Demidov, Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek and Director of Amateur Scouting Martin Madden A may have to take a considerable look at the supremely talented Russian forward.

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