Every Calder conversation ultimately comes to the same question. Do you reward a rookie’s impact, or do you reward his circumstances? What about his ice time, usage and opportunities? The neatness of the spreadsheet versus what the old eye test keeps telling you.
And that’s where Montreal Canadiens young star Ivan Demidov refuses to go.
In short? Demidov of the Canadians scores points
Demidov has scored ten goals and 25 assists, and he does that in just over fifteen minutes a night. Over 40 games, that’s 72 points on pace, a rare feat for a rookie these days. There aren’t many newcomers who get those numbers. He doesn’t get top treatment. That’s “earn it every shift” ice age. You don’t come across these numbers by chance.
Montreal wasn’t built around Demidov. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield still do the heavy lifting while he lives in the shadows. He gets a second power play look and short minutes where he is asked to make something happen. Then back to the couch.
Demidov is not yet a franchise savior
Now, the analytical crowd will tell you that his impact on the ice doesn’t scream “franchise savior.” Reasonable. His on-off numbers are solid, not earth-shattering. Are Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is just over 1.01which is excellent for a novice attacker, but not overwhelming. But here’s the part these numbers quietly admit: You can only tilt the ice so much when you play 15 minutes a night. Its use is not conducive to its success.
If Demidov got 18 or 19 minutes, power play time in the first unit, tougher matchups? That gap is widening. Not because the numbers alone predict it, but because history shows that players like him tend to rise with more ice time. Players with this type of touch usually don’t stay flat when you give them more rope. They pull.
The Calder Trophy is just one snapshot for an NHL rookie
The Calder is not an award for lifetime achievement; it’s a snapshot of a rookie’s season. And right now, the snapshot shows a rookie scoring like a top forward while being treated like a mid-level student. That matters.
There may be another newcomer who has a generational year. That happens. But Demidov’s case isn’t about being louder, it’s about being ruthless. He’s working his way into the conversation team by team, despite the limitations, despite the depth chart, despite the conservative stakes.
If the Calder is given to the player who did the most with what was given to him, Ivan Demidov is in the conversation. Now voters must recognize that he has already arrived.
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