Ivan Demidov ranks among the NHL’s elite in terms of average shot speed

Mathis Therrien
Ivan Demidov ranks among the NHL’s elite in terms of average shot speed
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

We all fell in love with Ivan Demidov the moment he was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens with the 5th overall pick in 2024.

Fans were already aware of Demidov's superstar potential back then, which explains why the flight to Montreal was so closely followed—and why so many #93 jerseys sold out so quickly.

Not everyone gets that kind of treatment, and every fan knows that the young Russian is a unique and special talent.

After a full rookie season in the NHL, there are even more reasons to love Demidov, as he's been outstanding all season long, showcasing his talent and potential.

And as if we needed more reasons to love him, NHL.com revealed a very interesting statistic about Demidov—one that's surprising and quite impressive.

According to NHL Edge statistics—the technology that gives us access to even more in-depth, accurate, and advanced stats—Demidov ranks among the NHL's elite in terms of average shot speed.

Indeed, this is what was noted in this article previewing the Montreal Canadiens' 2026–2027 season, which explains that Demidov ranks in the 90th percentile in terms of average shot speed with an average of 96.5 km/h.

In other words, Demidov's shots were, on average, faster than those of 90% of NHL players last season, meaning only 10% of players performed as well or better than he did.

It's still quite impressive that Demidov is already standing out in this aspect of the game at his age and in his first season in the league.

His average shot speed is quite high for a forward whose shots often don't reach breakneck speeds, given that many are rebound shots or point-blank attempts.

Ultimately, what becomes even clearer from this observation and this statistic is that Demidov definitely needs to shoot more often, because he has a very good, accurate shot—but also a very fast, crisp one.

When he takes a shot, it's released very quickly, which increases his chances of success.

In short, Demidov has an excellent shot, and he needs to stop being shy about using it and stop trying to please his teammates with beautiful, perfect passes.


In a Nutshell

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