Film Room: Ivan Demidov is one of the best game breakers heading into the 2024 NHL Draft

Ivan Demidov entered his draft-eligible season with all eyes on him to be the next top Russian. 

His draft year minus-one was one of the most impressive ever seen in the MHL. Playing alongside his brother, Semyon, Ivan finished fourth in the league in scoring with 64 points in 44 contests for SKA-1946, earning a spot in the KHL All-Star Game and being named the MHL Most Valuable Player at the season’s end. His U18 production was only challenged by Nikita Kucherov and Matvei Michkov, so it’s safe to say the hype train had begun.

Entering the 2023-24 season, Demidov found himself on a line with Michkov for SKA St. Petersburg’s preseason matchups. The pair immediately found chemistry and looked to get things rolling to start the regular season. Obviously, this was too good to be true with Demid