Habs prospect Ivan Demidov en route to Montreal

Montreal Canadiens first-round draft pick Ivan Demidov is heading to the NHL after being released by his KHL team.

Habs fans may soon get a glimpse of their future after Ivan Demidov’s season with the KHL team SKA St. Petersburg is at an end.

“SKA and Ivan Demidov have taken a joint decision which will see the forward join the Montreal Canadiens this season,” the team wrote on X. “He will return to Saint Petersburg if he doesn’t gain a foothold in the NHL.”

The 19-year-old Russian forward was chosen fifth overall by the Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

He scored 19 goals and added 30 assists in 65 KHL games this season.

The Canadiens announced that the te

am has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with the 6′1″, 192-pound forward.

The Habs currently have a six-point lead on the Detroit Red Wings for the second wildcard spot with five games to play.