Ivan Demidov: The Blackhawks Will Regret Their Choice, According to Grant McCagg

Vincent Larue
Ivan Demidov: The Blackhawks Will Regret Their Choice, According to Grant McCagg
Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

It's still far too early to draw any definitive conclusions about the 2024 draft.

But Grant McCagg is already convinced of one thing: The Blackhawks will regret letting Ivan Demidov slip through their fingers.

Chicago had the second overall pick that year and ultimately opted for defenseman Artyom Levshunov. Demidov had slipped to fifth overall, right into the Canadiens' hands.

Two years later, McCagg still believes the Hawks made the wrong choice.

He spoke about it on the Habscast:

What makes his comments interesting is that he isn't jumping on the Demidov bandwagon simply because the young forward now plays for the Habs.

Even before the draft, McCagg ranked the Russian second in the draft class and considered him one of the best prospects he'd evaluated in the previous 12 years. He'd even told the Chicago Tribune that he didn't understand how the Hawks could pass on Demidov.

His opinion clearly hasn't changed.

McCagg remains particularly critical of Levshunov's decision-making. Even before the draft, he criticized him for tending to think offensively rather than thinking like a defenseman.

According to McCagg, these bad habits are still evident today in the NHL. That obviously doesn't mean Levshunov is doomed to be a bad player.

McCagg still believes he can establish himself as a top-4 defenseman for a long time in the NHL. His issue is more with the player Chicago passed on to acquire him.

Let's be honest: for a defenseman who “thinks about offense” so often, the offensive results haven't materialized yet.

Levshunov has recorded just 2 goals and 30 points in 89 games since his NHL debut. Last season, he tallied 24 points in 68 games, while finishing with a plus/minus of -41. This season, after three games, he's still looking for his first point.

Of course, he's no Lane Hutson.

He's only 20 years old. It would be far too early to write off his potential.

But when the player selected three spots later is named Ivan Demidov, every setback risks sending the Hawks back to the 2024 draft.

A duo of Ivan Demidov and Connor Bedard would have been reminiscent of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, but the Hawks missed out.


In a nutshell

– A new ad for Arber Xhekaj.

– Another assist for Mika Zibanejad.

– Interesting.

– Paul Cotter is on fire!

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