The Montreal Canadiens were quiet on trade deadline day and didn’t make a move, but the local sports networks still had their all-day coverage. RDS brought on many panelists, including former NHL and KHL coach Bob Hartley. After being dismissed by the Calgary Flames, the veteran coach became the bench boss of Omsk Avangard for four seasons, winning the Gagarin Cup once.
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During the broadcast, Hartley was asked about the Canadiens' prospect, Ivan Demidov, and gave an answer that will excite Habs fans. The former coach believes the young Russian will be the Canadiens’ best player since Guy Lafleur. His opinion isn’t based solely on highlights, either. He explained that he watched him play in the junior league for three years.
Demidov got a lot of good press yesterday. RG.org’s Daria Tuboltseva published an interview with Evgeny Kuznetsov, and the former NHLer who played with the youngster for SKA St. Petersburg this season also had a lot of nice things to say about him. Speaking about his linemate, the former Washington Capitals player said:
He is one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen in terms of skill and playmaking.-
The veteran also adds that, in practice, the right winger likes to keep a low profile. He tries not to stand out too much because he doesn’t want to make his teammates look bad. Looking ahead, he believes Demidov needs to have fun with his development process, focusing on what he does well rather than obsessing over his weaknesses.
This is an interesting approach, especially considering that NHL teams like to make their players as complete as possible. We saw Martin St-Louis work a lot with Cole Caufield last season to make him a more complete player, and watching him play this season, he succeeded. The diminutive winger still has his goal-scoring instinct, but he’s also become a better playmaker and plays on the other side of the puck.
As for having fun, though, that’s something he’ll be able to do in Montreal. Anyone watching the Canadiens practices will tell you that the team spirit is strong and that the players have a lot of fun in practice and during the games.
Demidov is back in action on Saturday as SKA takes on Metallurg Mg. He will line up on the third line alongside Pavel Akolzin and Matvei Korotky since Kuznetsov is still trying to get over his third injury of the season. After today, SKA will only have a handful of games left in its season, and Demidov and co. will be gearing up for the playoffs.
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