While some have floated the idea that Ivan Demidov could potentially the answer to the Montreal Canadiens' lack of second-line center, Jeff Gorton doesn't agree.
The Montreal Canadiens may be scouring the NHL trade market right now to find a second-line center, but don’t expect them to turn to soon-to-be sophomore winger Ivan Demidov if they cannot land what they are looking for.
The possibility of using the Calder Trophy finalist as a pivot was put to the president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton, during his traditional pre-draft media availability, and the executive wasn’t exactly enthused by it. He explained:
We really haven't talked about that, to be honest. He's fastly becoming an elite winger, so I don't know if we want to mess with that. I do think if you look around the league, he does play like a center. He drives the line, he makes the plays, and we see a lot of elite wingers in the league that do those things. Instead of having an elite center, you may be able to do it through him.
This is the second year in a row that Gorton mentions that a line doesn’t necessarily have to be driven by a center. Last year, when he made that statement, we had not yet seen much of Demidov. A year on, it’s easy to see what he meant, and while the Russian forward has got a lot of potential, real top-six linemates would certainly help unlock everything he can afford.
Even in the last regular season, when Juraj Slafkovsky joined Demidov and Oliver Kapanen on the second line, it felt like the Russian winger was even more efficient. While the 20-year-old will certainly improve as he develops further, there’s no denying that he would benefit from playing alongside real top-six players. With all due respect to Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook and Jake Evans, they aren’t exactly bona fide top-six material.
The Finnish rookie was great early in the season, but he hit a wall at the Olympics, and his production crashed down to the point that he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Evans has no problem with playing in the top six, but the assignment won’t make him change the way he’s playing, and his true value is in his ability to play at both ends of the ice rather than having pure offensive skills. As for Newhook, it feels like there’s offensive potential that hasn’t been unlocked there yet, so it appears unlikely that he could be the key to unlocking the best of Demidov.
If the Canadiens do not find what they are after on the market this summer, it won’t be a disaster, but it could slow down Demidov’s progress. Of course, Demidov has plenty of time, but some of the most important pieces of the Canadiens’ core aren’t as young as he is. Captain Nick Suzuki will be 27 in August, Cole Caufield will turn 26 during the next season, and Noah Dobson will turn 27. The Habs are not running out of time, far from it, but the sooner everyone can reach their full potential, the better.
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