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Tony DeAngelo: Ivan Demidov should never have slipped to 5th place

 Marc-Olivier Cook
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Tony DeAngelo: Ivan Demidov should never have slipped to 5th place
Credit: Getty Images
In Montreal, we love Ivan Demidov.

Yes, we do… even though he hasn’t played a single career game in a Canadiens uniform.

It’s just like Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield, really. We were all looking forward to seeing them arrive in Montreal…

The excitement is there when we talk about the Canadiens’ prospects, because since his selection at No. 5 in the draft, positive comments have been coming from everywhere when he’s in the news.

Speaking of the draft, Tony DeAngelo believes that Demidov should never have slipped to the Canadiens.

He doesn’t understand why other teams ignored him, because according to the former NHL defenseman who now plays with Demidov in Russia, the latter is a “world-class” talent.

DeAngelo was on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast and he really wanted to give his teammate a shout-out:

During his appearance on the podcast, DeAngelo also stated that he sees Demidov becoming a 30-goal-per-season top-6 winger… In the worst-case scenario.

If – and I mean if – Demidov progresses as DeAngelo predicts, the Canadiens will have one of the best players in the National League on their hands.

But that’s what makes the defender’s comments so interesting: he’s around Demidov every day or so, and he’s in the best possible situation to see him progress… And you can’t discount the fact that DeAngelo knows the National League.

After all, he played eight seasons in the NHL, which is no mean feat. He knows what he’s talking about.

But we have to be careful here.

Obviously, as much as everyone wants DeAngelo to be right, chances are it won’t work out too. And I’m not saying that to denigrate Ivan Demidov’s talent: it can happen to any talented prospect who makes the jump to the NHL. There have been examples in the past, and it’s not to be dismissed.

On the other hand, when you see an 18-year-old succeed in the KHL because he’s got skills, because his skating is on point and because he has undeniable offensive qualities, that’s a good sign for the future.

And that’s obviously what DeAngelo focuses on when he sees his teammate on the ice.


Overtime

– Interesting.

– Artem Zub is out with a long-term injury.

– The three NHL stars of the week.

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