Major: Hughes announces that Demidov will play in Montreal earlier than expected

Many scouts had the Russian forward very high on their lists, and Canadiens fans are very excited to see him arrive in Montreal. However, they will have to be patient as Demidov will be playing in the KHL during the 2025-2026 season with SKA St. Petersburg. But unlike a certain Matvei Michkov, his contract is only for one season.

This means that Demidov should join the Canadiens in 2025-2026, but Kent Hughes has revealed that his top draft pick will be arriving in Montreal earlier than expected.

Could he finish the next season with the Habs?

As reported by the website Habsolumentfan.com, the Canadiens' GM stated during his July 1st press conference that he expects to see Demidov in Montreal as early as next year.

In reality, next year means 2025, and since the KHL season ends much earlier than the NHL season, Demidov could potentially join the Canadiens as early as next February.

Of course, his team will need to be eliminated by that time, and it is highly likely that many Canadiens fans will closely follow the activities of SKA St. Petersburg next winter.

In the worst-case scenario, he will be in Montreal for the training camp ahead of the 2025-2026 season.

Credit : Habsolumentfan
Kent Hughes s'attend à l'arriver d'Ivan Demidov la saison prochaine