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Draft: Kent Hughes ready to trade up to get Ivan Demidov?
Among the big names in the upcoming draft, there's certainly young Ivan Demidov, who is seen as the 2nd overall pick by many analysts and observers.
Demidov is a Matvei Michkov without the red flags, so lots of talent, a future generational player, but without too long of a contract in the KHL.
According to the renowned journalist covering the Canadiens, Arpon Basu, there are many signs indicating that the Habs have a strong interest in Demidov.
"If the Canadiens' management wasn't very fond of Matvei Michkov last year, I'm told their opinion of Ivan Demidov is quite different. They wouldn't hesitate to select him if he were available at their spot.
He only has one year left on his contract in the KHL and has refused to sign an extension. But one year isn't three years like it was for Michkov, and I'm told the Canadiens see Demidov as a much more complete player than Michkov.
A source also tells me that the Habs' management has been granted permission to watch several of Demidov's games live via video this season, which they couldn't do last year for Michkov.
The Canadiens might even be tempted to pay the price to move up in the draft and select Demidov, but there are also other forwards they like who could be available at their spot, like Cayden Lindstrom or Tij Iginla."
- Arpon Basu
He only has one year left on his contract in the KHL and has refused to sign an extension. But one year isn't three years like it was for Michkov, and I'm told the Canadiens see Demidov as a much more complete player than Michkov.
A source also tells me that the Habs' management has been granted permission to watch several of Demidov's games live via video this season, which they couldn't do last year for Michkov.
The Canadiens might even be tempted to pay the price to move up in the draft and select Demidov, but there are also other forwards they like who could be available at their spot, like Cayden Lindstrom or Tij Iginla."
- Arpon Basu
Here we see three names that often come up. Excellent players who will have a significant impact for their new NHL team.
It all depends first on which spot the Canadiens will draft from. With an 8.5% chance of winning the Macklin Celebrini lottery, let's not forget that. The young prodigy who played with Lane Hutson will certainly become a star in the NHL.
As for Demidov, there's also the possibility of seeing him slide in the rankings, as he is currently nursing a knee injury for the 2nd time. This injury could deter some teams ahead of the Canadiens. We'll have more details on May 7th when the lottery results are officially known.
| POLL | ||
MAI 2 | 376 ANSWERS Draft: Kent Hughes ready to trade up to get Ivan Demidov? Would you like Kent Hughes and the Canadiens to pay the price to draft at the 2nd overall pick, if possible? | ||
| Yes | 240 | 63.8 % |
| No | 136 | 36.2 % |
| List of polls | ||