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Ivan Demidov

Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Demidov, Ratzlaff

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Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is “not that far off” from a return, head coach Paul Maurice said on WQAM’s The Joe Rose Show Monday morning (via Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). “This week is a really important week for him,” Maurice continued. “If he’s not [ready for Game 1], he’s very, very close. We’re not missing this by two weeks.” Tkachuk hasn’t played since sustaining a groin injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off and, as alluded to yesterday, will return to practice this week after skating on his own a few times recently. Having a fully healthy forward lineup out of the gate in their first-round series will be important, with top right-shot defenseman Aaron Ekblad unavailable for two games while serving the end of his 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. Florida has rested many of its top forwards in recent games as a result and will continue to do so tonight against the Rangers.

Other notable items from the Atlantic Division:

  • Top Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov will make his NHL debut tonight against the Blackhawks with a playoff berth on the line, head coach Martin St. Louis confirmed this morning (via Eric Engels of Sportsnet). The winger will skate on a line with Joel Armia and Alex Newhook and see reps on the second power-play unit, Engels relays. The 19-year-old signed his entry-level contract last week after being released early from his commitment with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League. Barring any surprises, the 2024 No. 5 overall pick should be in Montreal’s playoff lineup – assuming they clinch – after leading SKA with 19-30–49 in 65 games this season and setting the KHL record for points in a season by a U-20 player.
  • The Sabres announced they reassigned goalie prospect Scott Ratzlaff to AHL Rochester to finish the season. Ratzlaff, 20, was also rostered for Rochester after his major junior season ended in 2023-24 but didn’t make his professional debut. It’s unclear if that will change this time around. The 2023 fifth-round pick capped off his fourth and final Western Hockey League season with a 3.16 GAA, .910 SV%, one shutout, and a 23-19-4 record in 49 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He’s now posted a save percentage north of .900 in four consecutive WHL seasons, a significant feat in the scoring-friendly league.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Ivan Demidov To Entry-Level Contract

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2:33 p.m.: The news is official. Montreal announced they’ve signed Demidov to a three-year entry-level contract from 2024-25 to 2026-27. He’ll burn the first year of that contract during the remaining games of the regular season.

1:21 p.m.: The Montreal Canadiens won’t have to wait long for their top prospect to join the NHL ranks. According to his now-former team, the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg, Ivan Demidov will join the Canadiens for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

In the announcement, SKA said:

“Thank you, Ivan. 

SKA and Ivan Demidov have taken a joint decision which will see the forward join the Montreal Canadiens this season. His KHL rights will remain with SKA. He will return to Saint Petersburg if he doesn’t gain a foothold in the NHL.”

Montreal selected Demidov as the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He has drawn significant comparisons to Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, as both players possess an exceptional blend of speed and offensive talent. On draft day, concerns arose regarding Michkov’s contractual commitments in the KHL, and similar worries existed about Demidov’s obligations with SKA.

However, these concerns are now a thing of the past for the Canadiens. Demidov has just completed his first full season in the KHL, during which he scored 19 goals and tallied 49 points in 65 games, achieving a +14 rating. This season marked the highest scoring for a KHL player under 20, with the closest competitor being Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Nikita Artamonov, who recorded 22 goals and 39 points in 63 games.

Depending on the timing of his arrival, Demidov will have access to meaningful hockey with Montreal. Before their important matchup tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, the Canadiens own the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a six-point gap on Detroit.

With the Canadiens unlikely to separate their top forward unit, Demidov is expected to join the second line alongside Alexander Newhook and Patrik Laine. Demidov could create a dangerous duo next to Laine, who’s recorded 20 goals and 47 games this season, 15 of which came on the powerplay.

There may be some concerns regarding Demidov’s performance in the defensive zone. Similarly to Michkov, who owns a well below-average 85.2% on-ice save percentage at even strength this season, Demidov doesn’t focus much on his defensive game, which could hurt Montreal in the playoffs.

The Canadiens don’t have a particularly challenging defensive unit to play against, either. The team has given up the 12th most shots in the league this year, and a 23rd-ranked save percentage blocking those shots. Montreal is entering a territory where they could overwhelm teams with offensive pressure, but defensive prowess is typically customary in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Regardless, the Canadiens will be enthusiastic about the recent development. Montreal has drafted well after embarking on their rebuild after finishing as runner-up in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 and will soon begin reaping the rewards of their moves.

Snapshots: Demidov, Nystrom, Landeskog, Schuldt

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The KHL season has ended for SKA St. Petersburg after back-to-back overtime losses to Dynamo Moscow last week. That news was meant ot mark celebration for Montreal Canadiens fans eager for top prospect Ivan Demidov to come overseas, but it seems SKA wants to get the most out of their young star before he departs. Demidov is now expected to partake in the playoffs of both the VHL – Russia’s second-tier pro league – and maybe even the MHL – Russia’s under-21 league – per Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gaming.

SKA’s VHL affiliate – SKA Neva – triumphed over Rubin Tyumen in a six-game series to advance from the first round of the postseason. Meanwhile, SKA-1946 swept Krasnaya Armiya in their first round matchup. Should both squads make it through their respective postseasons, Demidov could be playing between the groups through the third week of April at least. If that’s the case, Montreal may need to win the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in order to ice their star prospect this season.

Demidov carries the precedent of a Russian prodigy. He set the record for U20 scoring in the KHL this season with 19 goals and 49 points in 65 games – beating out Kirill Kaprizov’s previous record of 42 points. Demidov has played his way into top-line KHL consideration – far above the levels of either inferior league he may join now. That point was proven by his dazzling 23 goals and 60 points in 30 MHL games last season, and his 62 points in 41 MHL games in the season before. He’ll be a juggernaut addition for SKA’s depth programs, making both much harder to take down in a seven-game series.

Other quick notes around the hockey world:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned defense prospect Joel Nystrom to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves after the end of his SHL season, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Nystrom, 22, recorded six goals and 27 points in 51 games with Farjestads BK this season. That mark was an ever-so-slight bump up from his 26 points in as many games last year. Nystrom has been a fixture of Farjestads’ lineup for the last four seasons, and even supported the team to an SHL championship from a third-pair role in 2021-22. He’s a speedy, undersized defenseman who makes quick plays and creates strong offense from the perimeter. Those attributes might translate best to the minor ranks, but Nystrom’s explosive speed and Carolina’s knack for sheltering undersized players could make for a nice mix as the team looks for an offensive spark. Nystrom was drafted in the seventh-round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
  • Dipping out of prospect news, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar didn’t rule out a possible AHL conditioning stint for captain Gabriel Landeskog when asked about it by Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. Instead, Bednar succinctly replied “we’ll see”. Landeskog is back to taking full contact at practice – a substantial milestone as he looks to return to game action after missing the entirety of the last two seasons with a right-knee injury. He’ll be eligible for a conditioning stint of three AHL games thanks to his placement on long-term injured reserve. The Avalanche will need to make a decision quickly, as the AHL Colorado Eagles only have five games remaining in their regular season. Any AHL action would be the first of Landeskog’s professional career. He joined the Avalanche immediately after his second-overall selection in the 2011 NHL Draft, and planted his feet with 22 goals and 52 points in his rookie season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have reassigned defenseman Jimmy Schuldt. Schuldt appeared in 10 minutes worth of San Jose’s March 29th loss to the New York Rangers. It was just his sixth NHL game this season and he once again failed to manage any scoring or penalties. Schuldt has also served as the captain of the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda this season, netting six goals and 20 points in 59 games with the club. It’s not yet clear if this move is simply a paper transaction. The Sharks learned on Monday that depth defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin will miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury. That could push the Sharks to shore up their AHL blue-line as the Barracuda push for a playoff spot, or it could reaffirm Schuldt’s spot as San Jose’s de facto depth defender through the end of the season. News over the next few days will make that distinction, and lock Schuldt into a hard-fought lineup role one way or another.

Canadiens’ Prospect Ivan Demidov Concludes KHL Season

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Montreal Canadiens’ top prospect Ivan Demidov’s KHL season has just concluded, per a SKA St. Petersburg social post, and now eyes turn to the future of the skilled forward. Selected fifth overall by the Habs in the 2024 draft, Demidov, 19, scored 19 goals and 49 points in 65 games this season in Russia’s top league. He added an additional five points in six playoff contests.

The 6’0, 192-pound right wing is believed to have an NHL-ready offensive game, and his performance this year in the KHL has done nothing to diminish his buzz in Montreal. He also produced a robust 60 points in 30 games in the MHL (the KHL’s junior league) last season. Despite this success, Demidov often found himself in head coach Roman Rotenberg’s doghouse throughout the season and averaged only 13:45 of ice time per contest. Even with limited playing time, the teen led St. Petersburg in scoring. So, what’s next for the rising star?

Russ Cohen of The Hockey News noted that it’s not uncommon for younger stars to play limited minutes in the KHL to accommodate the playing time of veterans. He added that while Demidov is offensively gifted, he does have work to do in the defensive zone. While his situation has parallels to that of Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, Demidov’s contract with the KHL is set to expire in May, making his transition to America easier than that Michkov. This could set the stage for Demidov to make his North American debut for the Habs next season. If that is the case, the Canadiens will gladly sign up for a duplicate of the success Michkov has had in Philly this season, where he has produced 24 goals and 58 points in 75 games.

Whenever he does make his way overseas, another one of his countrymen is optimistic the top-five pick will have a strong run of success in Montreal. Former Canadiens winger Alexander Radulov spoke to Sergey Demidov of Responsible Gambling about the 2024 fifth-overall pick and said Demidov will be “having a blast” when he likely begins his NHL career in the closing days of the 2024-25 season. Radulov played for the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL this year, scoring 18 goals and 34 points.

Big Hype Prospects: Benak, Demidov, Barlow, Eliasson

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The hockey world has one final hurdle to get through before the hustle-and-bustle of the regular season – presently shrouded by the start of the college football and NFL seasons. To cut through that cloud, we’ll once again borrow the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and break down some of the prospects getting attention heading into the 2024-25 season.

Four Big Hype Prospects

F Adam Benak, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
2024 USHL Preseason: 6 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 TP

The USHL Pre-Season was bound to be headlined by Youngstown Phantoms tender Adam Benak – a starring Czech prospect and client of prolific NHL agent Allan Walsh. He brings a wealth of experience, most notably scoring eight points in eight games at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 24 points in 26 games with the Czech U18 team through friendlies and tourney play.  But even knowing that precedent, his start in the USHL has been shocking. Benak got the primary assist on the first goal of Youngstown’s pre-season – and while it was his only point of game one, he managed five points (1 G, 4 A) in Youngstown’s second pre-season game. Granted it was against a Green Bay lineup clearly not at full strength, but Benak nonetheless played at a step above everyone else, showing power in his strides and confidence on the puck. He worked best with winger Jack Hextall – Youngstown’s starring tender from the 2008 birth year. Hextall is still adjusting to junior-level physicality, but thrived in the tempo and space that Benak was able to create. His next game will be Youngstown’s season opener on September 18th, but Benak’s ability to control possession shined through in his pre-season action. There’s no telling how high on 2025 Draft boards the undersized, but highly-skilled centerman could climb if he carries that momentum into the regular season.

F Ivan Demidov, SKA (KHL)
2024 KHL Regular Season: 2 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 TP

The start of the KHL season has brought the first look at Ivan Demidov, now the Montreal Canadiens’ newest top prospect. He’s served that title well, making SKA’s KHL roster with dominant pre-season performances, and – perhaps more impressively – admirably filling a third-line role through the year’s first two games. SKA has gained notoriety for how they’ve deploy their star teenagers over the last few years, though it seems Demidov is playing above that ire through the early going. There’s no denying Demidov’s prowess. He’s dominant on the puck, showing control at top speeds and using his body to defend possession while driving the net. He’ll be near the top of the shortlist when it comes to exciting prospects to follow this season – especially if he continues earning routine ice time in SKA’s lineup.

F Colby Barlow, OHL
2023 OHL Regular Season (Owen Sound): 50 GP, 40 G, 18 A, 58 TP

Early year speculation has Colby Barlow as near-certainly bound for a trade away from the Owen Sound Attack. Where he’s headed hasn’t yet come clear, but it seems the Winnipeg Jets first-round pick will have a chance to join a stronger roster after scoring six fewer goals and 15 fewer assists last season, compared to the 2022-23 season. He still managed a 40-goal season, speaking to his assured scoring and offering intriguing upside for the winners of Barlow’s trade sweepstakes. Pre-season trades led other top NHL prospects like Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie to bountiful seasons last year, with both players turning pro this summer. Now, it could be the precedent to a big year for Barlow, hopefully providing momentum into his transition into Winnipeg’s pro flanks.

D Gabriel Eliasson, OHL
2023 J20 Nationell Regular Season: 36 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 TP

Gabriel Eliasson is hard to ignore. Literally – he’s 6-foot-7, 216-pounds. But he caught scouts attention for more than just his size – also flashing impressively fluid skating, strong puck control, and – above all else – an old-school style of headhunting. Eliasson seemed to study at the Jacob Trouba school of hitting-defensemen, earning a total of 200 penalty minutes through 65 total games last season, split between league and international play. He’s a high upside bet – with the size and control to play high levels, but lacking poise. Still, the Ottawa Senators were willing to gamble on Eliasson early, taking him 39th-overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. Now, reports claim that Eliasson is headed to the OHL, rather than making his expected move to the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and the Big Ten’s University of Michigan. Eliasson was selected by the Niagara IceDogs in the most recent CHL Import Draft, though additional info suggests he could be traded when Import trades open on September 25th. Fans will have to wait in anticipation for that move, though the thought of Eliasson in the OHL is certainly an interesting one. His reckless abandon would have been well-matched in Cedar Rapids, while the OHL could better encourage the fluid play-driving that makes his skillset so unique. While Eliasson may not be a star at the heights of his peers on this list, his unique frame and heavy hitting will make him an exciting name to follow – whether it be in the OHL or USHL.

East Notes: Demidov, Crosby, Mercer

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One of Ivan Demidov’s countrymen is optimistic the top-five pick will have a strong run of success in Montreal. Former Canadiens winger Alexander Radulov spoke to Sergey Demidov of Responsible Gambling about the 2024 fifth-overall pick and said Demidov will be “having a blast” when he likely begins his NHL career in the closing days of the 2024-25 season.

“Yes, he will be pressured, and he should understand that,” Radulov said. “But he should turn that pressure to his advantage. In Quebec, fans understand hockey. If you give it all, they see it and appreciate it. They even have hockey on their five-dollar bill.”

Radulov, who spent the 2016-17 season in Montreal, will be Demidov’s rival in the Kontinental Hockey League this season as the youngster takes on his first full season of professional hockey. Demidov, 19 in December, had one of the best seasons in Russian junior hockey history last year with SKA St. Petersburg’s U20 club, where he lit up the circuit for 60 points (27 G, 33 A) in just 30 games. He remains on SKA’s main roster two days ahead of their regular season opener, and all signs point to him starting his post-draft season with the main squad.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Each day that passes without a Sidney Crosby extension means more anxiety for Penguins fans. The face of the franchise is entering the last season of his 12-year, $104.4MM contract and has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, but there hasn’t been any news despite the two sides being reportedly close for months. Trade speculation will keep heating up the closer we get to training camp, influencing TSN’s Travis Yost to at least break down the likelihood of Crosby being moved at the trade deadline. “Imagine for a moment that the Penguins struggle early,” Yost writes. “It is precisely Crosby’s loyalty to the franchise that would suggest a trade could be fruitful: the returns even for a rental of Crosby would be extraordinary, and under the same assumption that Crosby’s loyalty is unwavering, he would return back to Pittsburgh (with possibly more help rostered as soon as 2025-26) on his retirement deal.“
  • Could more teams follow in the Hurricanes’ footsteps and use deferred payments to help get long-term deals across the finish line? It’s at least something to look out for in the case of the Devils and RFA forward Dawson Mercer, posits James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. New Jersey is down to $4.98MM in projected cap space, per PuckPedia, a figure Mercer’s AAV on a longer-term deal would likely eclipse by a slim margin. Deferring a small percentage of the contract until the end of the agreement would help it get across the finish line, at least from the team’s perspective. Whether Mercer is willing to accept the structure remains to be seen.

East Notes: Hurricanes, Demidov, Strome

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The Hurricanes are continuing to rebuild their minor-league pipeline after spending 2023-24 without full-time AHL or ECHL affiliates. They inked a three-year agreement to re-affiliate with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves earlier this offseason, but they remain without a full-time third-tier affiliate.

That won’t change for 2024-25, but they have landed what the team calls a “working agreement” with the Bloomington Bison, an expansion franchise beginning play in the fall. Bloomington has already landed an outright affiliation agreement for next season with the Rangers, but they’ll also be the preferred destination for the handful of players under contract with Carolina who get demoted all the way down to the ECHL. The Hurricanes had the same setup with ECHL Norfolk last season, whose primary affiliate was the Jets. Six players who were under contract with Carolina – Domenick Fensore, Griffin Mendel, Blake Murray, Yaniv Perets, Justin Robidas and Ronan Seeley appeared in action for Norfolk under the agreement.

Elsewhere from the East:

  • Following up on a report from The Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan earlier this week, it’s becoming more certain that 2024 fifth-overall pick Ivan Demidov will play out the final season of his contract with the Kontinental Hockey League’s SKA St. Petersburg next season. Speaking with matchtv.ru, SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg confirmed the plan is for Demidov to remain on the KHL roster instead of being loaned to a lower-level league (via Marc Antoine Godin of Radio-Canada). Demidov spent nearly all of last season on loan to SKA’s junior club in the MHL, where he had arguably the best draft-eligible season in league history with 60 points and a +47 rating in 30 games.
  • Coming off back-to-back Calder Cup championships, the AHL’s Hershey Bears have retained a core part of their club. The Capitals’ primary affiliate has re-signed left winger Matthew Strome to a two-year deal, per a team announcement. The brother of Washington center Dylan Strome and Ducks forward Ryan Strome had a career-best 20 points in 50 games with the Bears last season and scored the overtime winner in the series-clinching Game 6 of the Calder Cup Final against Coachella Valley. He was a fourth-round pick of the Flyers in 2017 but hasn’t been under an NHL contract since his entry-level deal expired in 2022 after not receiving a qualifying offer.

Evening Notes: Flames, Demidov, Strome

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The Calgary Flames announced today that their new arena will be called Scotia Place. The downtown building and culture and entertainment district will replace the aging Scotiabank Saddledome which has been the Flames home since 1983. The Flames released a first look at the new building today, showing drawings of the building that is expected to house the team beginning in the 2026-27 season.

The Scotia Place arena deal is expected to keep the Flames in Calgary for the next 35 years and will include upgrades to the infrastructure in the surrounding areas. The design plans currently show a capacity limit between 18,000 and 18,400 fans which will mark a small downsize from the current capacity limit of 19,289 at the Saddledome.

In other evening notes:

  • Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette believes that Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov will play out the final season of his contract with St. Petersburg but concedes that there is a slim chance he will make the jump to the NHL this season. The fifth overall pick in this year’s entry draft is contractually bound to the KHL for this season but if SKA opts not to hold onto him, his situation could mirror that of Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov. However, Szymon Szemberg the Managing Director of the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs doesn’t believe that is a possibility. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has been non-committal about where Demidov will play next season, saying simply that the KHL would be a good place for him to play for the upcoming season and that the team would keep their options open if he doesn’t play there.
  • Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey is reporting that forward Matt Strome has re-signed with the Hershey Bears. Strome signed a two-year AHL contract with the Bears that will keep him with the reigning Calder Cup champions through the 2025-26 season. Strome scored the championship-clinching goal in the AHL finals to help Hershey secure their second consecutive AHL title. The 25-year-old is the brother of NHLers Ryan Strome and Dylan Strome and was a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2017. The two-time AHL champion posted seven goals and 13 assists in 50 games last season and is expected to play a depth role again next year.

Canadiens Select Ivan Demidov Fifth Overall

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The Canadiens have taken star Russian winger Ivan Demidov, who’s fallen past his consensus No. 2 public ranking to Montreal at fifth overall.

The Canadiens organization should be pinching themselves with the reality that Demidov fell to them at fifth overall. Outside of Macklin Celebrini, there was a consensus that Demidov was the most talented player in the draft. However, much like the fall of Matvei Michkov in last year’s draft, it may take some time for Demidov to find his way to North America.

Demidov played most of the 2023-24 season with SKA-1946 of the MHL, a junior hockey league in Russia. With his contract rights owned by SKA St. Petersberg of the Kontinental Hockey League, Demidov should suit up for them as soon as next year.

This season, Demidov showed why he was one of the most dynamic players available in the 2024 NHL Draft with 23 goals and a 60-point effort in only 30 games. In the postseason, Demidov continued to put points on the board with 11 goals and 28 points in 17 playoff games.

There are some questions surrounding his play on the defensive side of the puck, but his offensive characteristics should play nicely for the Canadiens. Even if Demidov spends the next 2-3 years in his native Russia, he projects to be worth the wait for Montreal.

Snapshots: Pinto, Gomez, Demidov

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The Ottawa Senators and forward Shane Pinto are discussing the possibilities of a two-year bridge contract, shares Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Garrioch adds that Ottawa still prefers to sign Pinto to a deal closer to five or six years in length, though they’re off-put by Pinto’s request for $5MM-a-year on a long-term deal. Pinto is coming off the end of a year he’ll want to forget quickly, having been suspended for half the season for violating the league’s gambling policy and only scoring 27 points in the games he did play in.

Pinto scored 20 goals and 35 points as a rookie last season, appearing in all 82 games. The performance stamped him as one of Ottawa’s most promising young players, though his extended absence this year kept him from truly breaking out. The Senators will be hoping for that breakout on the first year of his new deal – and get the dreaded task of putting a number to their faith this summer.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Legendary New Jersey Devils forward Scott Gomez has taken to hockey management, assuming the general manager role and head coach for the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles (Twitter link). Gomez played in one season with the Eagles in 1996-97, posting 124 in 56 games as part of a championship-winning Eagles offense. He spent his next two seasons with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, before beginning an iconic NHL career, including two years as the assistant coach of the New York Islanders from 2017 to 2019. Gomez took a break from the game after that tenure, returning with an assistant coaching role with Surry this season. He’ll now kick off his managerial career in the same place he started his playing career, certainly looking to achieve the same results.
  • Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Ivan Demidov was dismissive when asked when he expects to move to North America in an interview with Scott Powers of The Athletic, saying only, “We’ll see what happens.” Demidov has been entrenched in rumors early in his hockey career, with many speculating that he and defenseman Artyom Levshunov are the top options for second overall. One of the few knocks against Demidov’s game has been his limited exposure to the KHL – instead playing nearly all of his hockey in the MHL, Russia’s U21 league. He similarly played off the question of whether he expects more KHL ice time next season, saying he wasn’t sure and likely wouldn’t know until after the draft. While neither answer was an outright no, Demidov’s uncertainty certainly doesn’t elicit excitement. He’ll remain an incredibly skilled player, surrounded by a litany of questions, as June 28th’s First Round draws closer.

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