First trio: “It’s pretty certain that Ivan Demidov will get his chance this season.”

Félix Forget
First trio: “It’s pretty certain that Ivan Demidov will get his chance this season.”
Credit: NHL.com

Many people in town are eager to see what Ivan Demidov will be able to accomplish this season. The young Russian, who will be starting his second full season with the Habs, showed flashes of great talent in 2025–26.

And after a summer of training in which he became much faster on the ice, he seems capable of great things.

The question is whether Demidov will have the linemates who will allow him to take his game to the next level this season. The Canadiens didn't bring in any reinforcements for their second line, so the Russian's ceiling may still be limited.

That said, there's always the possibility of moving him up to the first line, for example. And Tony Marinaro, who discussed the topic with Brian Wilde on the Sick Podcast, seems to believe in that idea:

It's pretty much a given that we'll see him on the first line this season. – Tony Marinaro

We know that in Montreal, the line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovský is a pretty safe bet. It's hard to break them up when you know how well those three guys play together… but last year, we saw Slaf spend quite a bit of time on the second line.

A full season is a long time… and sooner or later, we should expect Demidov to get his chance, whether because he's forcing the team's hand or because Martin St-Louis wants to shake things up.

Brian Wilde also mentions that bookmakers in Vegas are predicting a 75-point season for Demidov, compared to 68 for Slafkovský. That doesn't prove anything in and of itself, of course… but it's an interesting point to note.

At the same time, as talented as they may be, will a Caufield-Suzuki-Demidov trio be able to hold their own sufficiently, considering that none of the three are particularly physical? It's a valid question… even though we agree it's a nice problem to have compared to the ones the Habs had a few years ago.


In a nutshell

– That was a good shot.

– LPHF: Training camps will begin on November 18.

– Too bad.

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