Habs Hebdo: Ivan Demidov’s Ordeal Nears Its End and a Look at Other Prospects in the Playoffs

Welcome to this new edition of the Habs Hebdo, your weekly column on the Montreal Canadiens’ prospects. For all previous columns: Habs Hebdo Section.

Ivan Demidov: The Ordeal is Almost Over

The pre-game interview given by Ivan Demidov has been circulating a lot on social media in recent days. In it, we saw a completely disinterested Demidov—far from the vibrant personality observed during the draft and at the start of the season. From the very first playoff game, Ivan Demidov was placed as the 13th forward, even though SKA has been struggling to score goals. All season long, efforts were made to find justifications. At times, Demidov’s play without the puck showed too many flaws, so in some ways, his coach’s reprimands were understandable.

But now, as the playoffs begin, you exclude your top scorer from the lineup. It’s incredibly difficult not to fall into various theories. But the ordeal is almost over. SKA is on track to lose in the first round based on the way the team is playing.

Now, it will be interesting to see if the rumors are true. Indeed, it appears that SKA might send Demidov to the MHL to help their club there if the KHL team is eliminated early. They want to maximize the young player’s usage while he’s still under contract, which ends on May 31. SKA could release Demidov as soon as they are eliminated, but rumors suggest that this is not an option. The team is down 2-0 and plays on March 31 and April 2. Let’s keep a close eye on this. In the meantime, here is the goal scored by Ivan Demidov in the playoffs when his coach finally decided to put him on the ice. At least scoring brought a smile back to his face!

Habs Prospects in the Playoffs

NCAA

– Logan Sawyer and the Providence Friars were in the tournament bracket leading to the Frozen Four. Unfortunately, in the first round, Sawyer’s team was defeated 5-1 by the Denver Pioneers. His first NCAA season (2024-2025) ends with a production of 16 points in 37 games. – Full season analysis (scouting report).

– Sam Harris continues his journey to play in the Frozen Four. Denver eliminated both Providence and Boston College to advance to the Frozen Four in St. Louis. David Carle’s team will face Western Michigan in the semifinals.

– It was a surprise to see Minnesota eliminated by UMass in the first game of the Frozen Four tournament. Luke Mittelstadt’s season thus ends with 18 points in 40 games for 2024-2025. Like Jack Smith, Mittelstadt can sign with the CH until August 15, 2026. He is likely to stay in the NCAA for another season, especially since Minnesota lost several key players with the departures of Jimmy Snuggerud, Oliver Moore, and Sam Rinzel.

– The « Jacob Fowler Watch » has begun. We can expect an imminent signing. Unfortunately, this follows yet another failure by Boston College, which literally « choked » again. After being eliminated in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs, they just lost in the second round of the Frozen Four tournament. With all the talent on this team, it’s inconceivable that they couldn’t score crucial goals in these games. More details: Jacob Fowler eliminated from the NCAA tournament! A contract with the Canadiens coming?

OHL

– Owen Protz and the Brantford Bulldogs started their playoff run against the North Bay Battalion. After registering two assists in his final regular-season game, Protz has not recorded any points in two playoff games. However, Brantford has taken a 2-0 lead in this first round.

WHL

– Tyler Thorpe and the Vancouver Giants face a tough challenge in the first round of the WHL playoffs. The CH prospect is up against Spokane Chiefs’ incredible offensive duo, Andrew Cristall and Berkly Catton. Vancouver is trailing 2-0.

NL (Swiss League)

– Vinzenz Rohrer and the Zurich Lions easily defeated EHC Kloten to advance to the Swiss League semifinals. In the first game, the Lions defeated Davos 6-1, with Rohrer collecting an assist.

Sm-U20

– Aatos Koivu finished the season in Finland’s U20 league. Despite his efforts in the quarterfinals (2 goals and 1 assist), TPS was eliminated by the Pelicans. His season is now over.

Russia

– In the KHL, Bogdan Konyushkov and his Torpedo team are in trouble, trailing 2-0 in their series against Lokomotiv.

– In the VHL, Khimik is facing Zauralye, with the series tied 2-2. Dmitri Kostenko missed the first game, while Daniil Sobolev played in all three games this week. Kostenko is the only CH prospect to register a point in the VHL, with one assist.

– In the VHL, Alexander Gordin played only two out of four games this week (no points). His team is facing elimination, trailing 3-1 against HC Norilsk.

– In the MHL, Makar Khanin started his round of 16 against Krylya Sovetov. His team leads 2-1, and Khanin had a breakout game in the third match, recording five assists.

Sweden

– Filip Eriksson will begin his quarterfinal round on March 31 against Sodertalje. He will face off against Rasmus Bergqvist’s team, who was loaned by Skelleftea (SHL) to Sodertalje in the HockeyAllsvenskan. However, Bergqvist is playing his playoffs with the J20 team.

– Oliver Kapanen and Timra are facing elimination in the SHL. The game is today, March 31, 2025. Frolunda has taken a 3-2 lead thanks to a 6-2 win in the last match. Could Oliver Kapanen reinforce the Rocket? Or even join the Canadiens?

Fash news

– Habs prospect Jack Smith finished his third NCAA season with 9 points in 33 games. His team did not qualify for the final tournament. The CH holds his rights until August 15, 2026. A contract or AHL stint is unlikely this season (or even in the future).

– Season over for Yevgeni Volokhin, as Sochi did not make the playoffs. His first KHL season had its ups and downs. So far, he has not shown he can be a better goaltending prospect than Dobes or Fowler. He finishes his first KHL campaign with a 4-17-1 record, a 3.48 GAA, and a .901 save percentage.

– Emmett Croteau’s season is also over, as Dartmouth did not qualify for the Frozen Four tournament. In his first season at Dartmouth after transferring from Clarkson, Croteau finished with a 13-4 record, a 2.10 GAA, and a .903 save percentage.

Statistics collected from March 23, 2025, to March 30, 2025, inclusive.

Goalies