We've not seen all that much of Ivan Demidov in previous years simply because he was playing in Russia, but here's my takeaways from an interviews publish by the KHL and a great scouting video by David St.Louis.

The KHL press office published at the end of June a lengthy interview with Montreal Canadiens' first pick from the latest draft, Ivan Demidov. There are some very interesting quotes in there.

According to the article, Demidov missed half of the regular season suffering three injuries and finished second in the scoring race with 60 points in 30 games, while the player who finished first, Ivan Volgin, had 64 points in 54 games. 

In the playoffs, Demidov was just as dominant, recording 28 points in 17 games. He missed the Kharlamov Cup clinching game but came onto the ice with crutches to lift the trophy over his head. The playoffs MVP title went to his teammate Jaroslav Romanov and the Canadiens' prospect said he was glad for him as he had scored important goals in the run to the Cup.

The article reveals Demidov is very versatile and can play both on the wing and at center. Speaking about the role of a center, the Montreal prospects explains:

Playing in the middle is definitely more enjoyable in terms of seeing the rink. You’re the conductor of the game, seeing the whole ice. I’m comfortable playing both on the wing and as a center.

While versatility is wonderful to have, in Montreal, it's on the wing that he should be skating. For now at least, Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach are the first two centers and it's a scoring winger that is badly needed.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLbI37aD-Ws[/embed]

The interviewer mentions that it can be said Demidov has outgrown the JHL. The Canadiens are hoping SKA St. Petersburgh agrees with the assessment and the forward puts that down to having the "utmost confidence in myself." In his latest season, he didn't fear making mistakes on the ice, he explained. He knew he would control the game and score. His confidence is definitely something which will come in handy in a market like Montreal. 

Demidov also told the reporter his representatives were contacted by the SKA St. Petersburg when he returned from his injury in the Fall. At the time, he was dominating the JHL, but the KHL club felt it was better for him to remain in the lower league to get stronger and return to his previous level. The youngster not only did that but he also used the opportunity to improve his skills, learn new tricks and build up his confidence, not that it needed that much building if you ask me.

The highlights of his latest season include a 5-goal game against Amur in the JHL and a Gordie Howe hat trick in the playoffs. It's also worth noting Demidov has worn the number 11 since his childhood, like Evgeni Malkin use to wear. Malkin is, funnily enough, the player his coach with the SKA Roman Rotenberg compares. I wonder if Brendan Gallagher will be willing to give up his 11. I expect the prospect will have to wait his turn, just like the alternate captain did when Scott Gomez still played with Montreal.