Jon Cooper praises Ivan Demidov: “If people compare him to Kucherov, it’s understandable”

Marc-Olivier Cook
Jon Cooper praises Ivan Demidov: “If people compare him to Kucherov, it’s understandable”
Credit: NHL.com

So, what do you think of Ivan Demidov's first season in the National Hockey League?

The young Canadiens player has racked up 61 points (18 goals) in his first 78 games of the season. He's on an impressive pace for a rookie—and for a guy who turned 20 in December.

I'd even go so far as to say he's living up to expectations. 

We've seen it a few times since the start of the season: when Demidov decides to take control of a game, he's (truly) impressive to watch. It shows he has the talent to one day become one of the most dominant players in the NHL.

And Jon Cooper is a fan of his game. The Lightning coach praised him today before the game between his team and the Canadiens, saying that if people compare Demidov to Kucherov, it's because it's justified.

That's a nice compliment for Demidov.

This isn't the first time we've heard this comparison.

It's been noted before, and Demidov even said it himself before being drafted by the Canadiens: he models his game after Nikita Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov. There are similarities in the play of these three guys, who are known as highly offensive players…

What's interesting is that Kaprizov and Kucherov's styles have allowed them to post 100-point seasons in the NHL. And that's why we can believe that Ivan Demidov's future looks really promising for the Canadiens and their fans…

Personally, I'm especially looking forward to seeing how the young player performs in the playoffs. It was tougher for him last year because he had just arrived in North America, but it could be different this year.

He has more experience and has matured as well. I'm curious to see how it plays out…


In a nutshell

– Sick.

– Doby, Doby, Doby!

– It was about time.

– News from MLB.

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