Ivan Demidov’s progress is (approximately) 2 years ahead of Kirill Kaprizov’s

Marc-Olivier Cook
Ivan Demidov’s progress is (approximately) 2 years ahead of Kirill Kaprizov’s
Credit: Getty Images

Tonight, the Canadiens welcome the Minnesota Wild to the Bell Centre.

It should be a good game: both clubs are having good seasons and have players who can put on a show.

The Wild will obviously be keeping an eye on Quinn Hughes… and Kirill Kaprizov, too. We know how talented the Russian is, and that he has the ability to single-handedly change a game.

This will also be the first time we've seen Ivan Demidov take on Kaprizov in an NHL game. The two guys have been compared in recent years because their playing styles are quite similar… but in terms of numbers, the Canadiens' player is ahead in his development when compared to Kaprizov.

Demidov, at the age of 20, is having a magnificent first season in the National League. At that age, Kaprizov was still playing in the KHL… And even if he was a good player in Russia, it doesn't compare to what Demidov is doing right now.

Note that the Habsolument Fan site has also written on the subject.

Today, at 28, Kirill Kaprizov is one of the best players on the Bettman circuit.

He's been producing at a rate of 100 points per season for almost five years, and quickly became an offensive force when he arrived in North America at the age of 22. That's where it gets interesting, because right now, Ivan Demidov is already really good.

It's going to be impressive to see Demidov at 25…

The signs are there, after all. Demidov is heading for a 69-point season if he can keep up the pace between now and the end of the season, and he's already proved he's got huge potential. He's going to get even better over the next few years and that's crazy to say because he's already really good.

It's encouraging, at least. Especially when you compare Demidov's progress to that of Kaprizov, who is one of the NHL's most electrifying forwards at the time of writing, with a style of play very similar to that of the Canadiens' player…


Overtime

– Erik Karlsson nears a return to action.

– Win or lose tonight?

– Wow.

– Can you blame him?

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!