Montreal Canadiens fans outraged with Ivan Demidov's KHL head coach over new lineup position

The Canadiens are entering the new season with bigger aspirations, just like any rebuilding should do. Despite Patrik Laine's injury, the team is looking forward to starting the season and showing the rest of the League what they're capable of. 

Under Martin St-Louis' guidance, captain Nick Suzuki, 1st overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, alongside Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, and the others, built something interesting in Montreal. Not only are more and more talented players joining the team, they have created a great atmosphere, which is key in any successful organization.

Fans are eager to see what will bring the rookie Lane Hutson to the team. Considered to be among the candidates to win the Calder Trophy, the outstanding defenseman is gaining a lot of attention in Montreal and around the rest of the League. 

But there's one player that fans can't wait to see in Montreal, and it's Ivan Demidov.

Drafted 5th overall at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas by the Canadiens, Demidov could be on his way to become a superstar in the NHL. He's currently playing for the SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. He's been playing well despite limited ice time in the first month of the season, earning the title of rookie of the month. 

Unfortunately, NHL players developing in the KHL must often face a sad truth. Most of the Russian organizations don't prioritize their growth as players.

Ideally, Demidov would be playing a lot of minutes on a team's top six. Today, the forward was out of the first four lines, listed on the roster as the 13th forward.

Many Canadiens fans are worried about his development. Some of them are even calling out the organization to bring him to Montreal at all costs.

Not only fans support this idea. Per HFTV, Demidov liked an Instagram comment suggesting he should leave the KHL and come to North America:

It's been put forward by the former KHL and NHL coach Bob Hartley that the SKA has 34 forwards and needs to make rotations in the lineup to make players happy. However, it makes no sense to bench the best players on the team.

While there's no doubt he would thrive in Montreal, facing such adversity could be beneficial for his development in the long run. 

We'll keep an eye on him over in Russia and keep you updated on any developments about the situation.