Ivan Demidov is in a league of his own: a sequence proves it beyond any doubt

It's a good thing he's playing in the KHL right now, as we can witness the best sequences from the young man in his early steps in professional hockey.

Already after 9 games, he has 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points, all while playing on a third line. That's far from bad, and he has already eclipsed Nikita Kucherov's mark at the same age in the same league.

We know Demidov's hockey intelligence, hands, and good shot, but his instinct is also incredible. In the following sequence, you can first see how well he managed the moment to retrieve the puck before passing it to the defenseman.

You aren't impressed by this sequence? That's normal, and even though it's a very nice hockey play, it's fairly common. Now take note of how he lifted the defender's stick just before receiving the pass from Tony DeAngelo to score.

The defenseman was completely unaware, and yet the intention was exactly to receive the puck on his stick without the defender intervening.

It takes a talent, instinct, and game intelligence well beyond the ordinary to not only think of doing that but also to execute it well.

Ivan Demidov will be quite a player for the Canadiens for many years!