Top prospect Ivan Demidov expected to join Canadiens after leaving KHL and signing an NHL contract

By Canadian Press on April 8, 2025.

MONTREAL (AP) — In an unexpected late-season development, the Montreal Canadiens are getting a huge boost for the stretch run and potentially the playoffs with top prospect Ivan Demidov joining them from Russia.

The Canadiens signed Demidov to a three-year entry-level contract Tuesday, less than 90 minutes after his KHL team said the mutual decision was made for the skilled forward to go to the NHL immediately. SKA Saint Petersburg in a social media post said it would retain his rights and Demidov would return “if he doesn’t gain a foothold” in the top league in the world.

Demidov, 19, will get a chance to show that. The fifth pick in the 2024 draft was SKA’s leading scorer this season with 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points in 65 games and widely considered the top young player not currently in the NHL.

With a few games left in the regular season, Montreal is on track to make the playoffs as the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Associated Press

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