In his rookie season, Demidov has delivered on the hype and registered 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 73 NHL games for the Montreal Canadiens. He has seen consistent top-six and PP1 deployment throughout the season and rewarded Fantasy Managers in all formats with a Calder Trophy candidate of a season. Unfortunately for Demidov, Matthew Shaefer is hands down the favourite for the award so despite Demidov’s fantastic rookie season in one of the hardest hockey markets in the world – he will not have the Calder in his trophy cabinet. With that said, a deep playoff run with the Canadiens might be even more meaningful for the 20 year old budding NHL star.

To the surprise of no one, Demidov is featuring prominently in Montreal’s top-six at the NHL level to start the season. He is again seeing time with Alex Newhook at 5-on-5- get your Newhook stocks while they’re cheap- and fellow rookie Oliver Kapanen. He is also on the second powerplay- through two games, so small sample size alert- which could benefit him by being one of the main drivers and by seeing a softer penalty kill.

Demidov is as bona fide a prospect as we have seen in some time, and you won’t be able to pry him from managers in your dynasty leagues without several limbs on the table. He is without a shot in two games to start the season, and if he begins the season slowly, you’d be wise to see if you can’t pounce on an impatient manager in a redraft league.

With his two points in his NHL debut, Demidov showed off some slick hands and savvy moves. The growing pains were still there, at times caught defensively. Of his seven regular season and playoff games, Demidov had points in just two of them (two points in each). But all-in-all a very promising start to his NHL career and he has shown nothing to indicate that he won’t be a star in this league. Coach Martin St. Louis seems hell bent on Demidov playing on a line with Alex Newhook. But frankly – that makes Newhook better, not Demidov worse. –

Demidov completed his first full KHL season, leading his team SKA St. Petersburg in points (49 in 65 games). His 49 points were the most by a player under the age of 20 in KHL history – topping Kirill Kaprizov’s 42 points, Matvei Michkov’s 41, and Evgeny Kuznetsov’s 41. After his team was eliminated from the playoffs (Demidov had five points in six games), SKA agreed to release him so he can sign to play in the NHL. He is about as surefire as a prospect can get, and his upside is that of a superstar. –