Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2024 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr, and Frederik Frandson on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! Today we bring you our Ivan Demidov Scouting Report.
Last year it was Matvei Michkov who was the exciting new Russian forward in the NHL. This year that mantel has been given to Ivan Demidov, who is regarded as many be most electrifying and dynamic player of the 2024 NHL draft. Demidov is pure excitement and swagger, who is able to make the improbable look easy. If a team is looking for an x-factor player, who can change the dynamic of a game in an instance Demidov is the guy.
This has also been evident through his team in the MHL, where he has put up 60 points in just 30 games. That’s two points per game. He also has 20 playoff points in just ten games, matching his regular season average. He has been outright unstoppable in Russia, and has surpassed both Michkov and Nikita Kucherov in point per game in an MHL season. It might arguably be the best ever along with Nikita Gusev’s 2011-2012 campaign. That’s how incredible the Russian has been and why he is expected to be taken in the top three.
Ivan Demidov 2024 NHL Draft Scouting Report
Right Wing/Center — shoots Left
Born December 10th, 2005 — Sergiyev Posad, Russia
Height 5’11″ — Weight 168 lbs [180 cm/76 kg]
Skating
If there is weakness to Demidov’s game its his skating. Its not super fluid and he doesn’t have the top end speed to truly make him able to get open. He wont exactly burn past the defence with speed. He often will have to rely on his edges, which he uses for deception, creating a very unique style. Its not the most quick or fast style, but with great hands he can find ways to glide through even the smallest gaps. His feet keeps moving and it allows for very swift and small movements that can break ankles when he comes in off the rush. Making what should have been bigger weakness a slight strength due to his style.
Offensive Game
As mentioned above Demidov is a player who has silky smooth hands. No matter how pressured he is, he keeps calm and allows for his puckhandling to get him out of trouble. His movements are fluid and beautiful to watch, and he has a great mix of patience and creativity. He will allow for the play to develop and once it does, use his arsenal of offensive weapons to create high end scoring chances.
The first weapon his great passing, where he will often find a pass that cuts defenses wide open. He can tread a pass through even the tightest of gaps and does it often. Almost too often where he can overlook a good shot to try the pass in between traffic. However that’s part of Demidov’s creative style, and for the most part it works to put the opponents in trouble right away.
However it is a bit of a shame Demidov can overlook the shot, as he has a lethal wrister. It has a real quick release and comes off the blade with power. Its also very accurate and its an almost forgotten part of his game. Sometimes even to himself it seems because of his amazing passing and creative and dynamic movement with the puck.
Defensive Game
There is a bit of a stigma towards Russian forwards that they have a tendency to be all offense. However with Ivan Demidov that is far from the case. The Russian works incredibly hard and plays with a high compete level at all times. He never seems to take a shift off and regardless of where the puck is, he battles. His size does give him a few difficulties defensively, but with a high IQ in both the offensive and defensive zone he is more than capable.
Its still not perfect as he can cheat to get up ice before fully finishing his defensive duties. His motor is great and he is always moving which does allow him to recover, but he is flawed when it comes to overly chase the chances in transition and off the rush. For a player with his offensive mind and skillset, having a player who is okay defensively is more than fine.
Projection and Comparison
The talent of Demidov is impossible to deny. His raw skills might be the best in terms of offense in the entire draft. His puckhandling, shot, passing, and even skating makes him a unique hockey player and prospect. There are many great offensive players, but not many quite like Demidov. Especially who will also have a great drive and motor to play a strong 200 foot game. However Demidov does require a bit of finetuning to fully excel in the NHL. His decision making can be too pass heavy and he needs to learn to finish his defensive duties before chasing the rush. With that said the strength are far too good to ignore, and should he reach his potential, he could easily be a point per game player in the NHL on most teams first line.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
