An absolutely stunning development with Habs top prospect Ivan Demidov

Whoa!

In a move that seemingly came out of nowhere, KHL team SKA St. Petersburg have announced that top prospect Ivan Demidov has left the team and will join the Montreal Canadiens.

The 19 year old was selected 5th overall by the Canadiens in 2024 and there had been rumors that he was set to sign a contract extension with St. Petersburg that would have kept him in the KHL for at least 2-3 more seasons. That, apparently, is now old news. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman confirms that the Habs are working to get the talented Russian under contract.

Demidov put up 19 goals and 49 points in 65 games with St. Petersburg this past season and has all the makings of a future star in the NHL. Needless to say, this is a HUGE development for the Habs and something that nobody saw coming... at least not at this juncture.

And for the record, yes Demidov would be eligible to join the team for the rest of the season and for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once signed.

More from St. Petersburg's announcement today:

Stay tuned, Habs fans. Things are about to get veeeeeery interesting!