Ivan Demidov: For a rare occasion, Roman Rotenberg is showering him with praise.

The coming years in Montreal are going to be exciting.

Especially when we see Ivan Demidov performing as he is this season in the KHL.

The Canadiens’ prospect scored three more points today in his team’s loss, bringing his total to 35 (in 44 games) since the start of the season. For a guy who wasn’t playing much in the first weeks of the campaign… It’s clear that his production is really interesting.

But today, even though his team lost, Roman Rotenberg decided to sing his praises.

Well… He must be having a fever, the good old Rotenberg!

That’s the first thought that came to my mind when I saw the SKA head coach praised his player.

Because we can all agree on this point: it doesn’t happen often.

Rotenberg mentioned after his team’s game that Demidov « has reached another level » and that pressure does not affect him.

He also said that other young players his age are not as mentally strong as Demidov:

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Roman Rotenberg could have gone back to his old routine when he saw Demidov being benched after just three minutes of play for delaying the game.

But the SKA coach instead chose to trust his young player by giving him his best ice time of the season (22:05).

Result? Demidov finished the game with one goal and two assists, and he was the offensive engine of his team during the match.

The team lost… But we saw that Demidov is capable of the best when he is used the right way.

Moreover, it should be noted that the Canadiens’ visit to Russia seems to have done him a world of good.

Looking at the last 10 games of the player, we realize that Rotenberg is right in saying he has reached another level:

  • Nine goals and six assists (15 points)
  • 36 shots on goal
  • A plus-minus of plus-6
  • Only two games without a point

Finally, let’s note that Demidov – with his performance today – is just seven points away from Kirill Kaprizov’s record for the most points scored by a 19-year-old player in the KHL (42).

Hard to ask for more. And Rotenberg doesn’t seem crazy for praising the kid’s qualities!

In a nutshell

– Good for him.

– 😅😂

– It’s truly deserved.

– We could even add Lane Hutson’s name to that list!