Even before he was drafted, Ivan Demidov was drawing comparisons to Kirill Kaprizov – both extremely talented Russian wingers with genuine superstar potential, while Kaprizov had clearly already reached that level. On Tuesday night, the two faced off for the first time in the NHL, and neither disappointed, with two assists each. Yet it was the Canadiens’ young star who stole the show.
Demidov was buzzing all night, making plays and setting up teammates: he could easily have had a few more assists if a few of those chances had been finished. Kaprizov wasn’t too shabby himself, but Montreal’s win, combined with how impressive the rookie looked, has many believing that Demidov’s ceiling could be even higher than that of Minnesota’s superstar winger.
Kaprizov, of course, didn’t make his NHL debut until he was 23, while Demidov had already begun to dominate the league as a teenager who recently turned 20. As a result, Hockey Prospecting’s Byron Bader shared charts comparing the two at similar ages, showing that Demidov is not only on his way to becoming a star, but is also years ahead of Kaprizov’s trajectory.
Bader wrote:
“Demidov’s trajectory is about two years ahead of Kaprizov. How Demidov will look in competition at the age of 25… could be something very incredible,”
The 20-year-old Demidov has collected 43 points (11 goals, 32 assists) in 50 games played during his first full NHL season despite averaging just 15:17 of ice time. He is in the second year of the three-year, $2,822,499 entry-level contract signed with the Canadiens last April, which will become an RFA after the 2026-27 season.
Montreal has something special in Ivan Demidov
The Canadiens knew this from the moment he fell into their laps fifth overall in 2024: they have a budding superstar in Demidov.
Montreal has one of the most knowledgeable and passionate fan bases in all of sports, so as they followed his arrival and packed the shed to watch the kid warm up in his debut, it was clear something special was on the horizon.
While it is still too early to say that he will surpass Kaprizov, the early signs are extremely encouraging. Demidov seems more confident and comfortable with every match. His playmaking is already among the best in the league, and as soon as he becomes a little more unselfish and uses his shot, watch out.
Demidov has raw skills and a hockey IQ that can’t be taught – and he’ll never lose that, so as long as he continues this upward trend, there’s no telling how high his potential could be.
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