Canadiens' Martin St-Louis drops blunt Ivan Demidov take ahead of his NHL debut - "Not a savior"

Ivan Demidov will play his first NHL game for the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. The team will play against the Chicago Blackhawks, who rank 31st in the League standings.

The forward signed a three-year entry-level deal on April 8. Montreal picked him fifth overall in the 2024 NHL draft. Before signing his contract, he had scored 49 points in 65 KHL games, the most ever for a U20 player.

Head coach Martin St. Louis talked about Demidov before the game on Monday. Speaking to the media, he said the team doesn’t see him as a savior. St. Louis wants fans to know Demidov is only one part of the team.

"It's important for everyone to know he's not a savior," St. Louis said. "We have a really good team, he's going to be a piece of our really good team – that's the way we see it."

The coach wants everyone to focus on team effort, not just one player. He also spoke about whether he spent time guiding Demidov.

"You welcome him with open arms. We took the time to show him a few things," St. Louis said. "You try not to give him too much (info) & overcoach him. I want him to have fun. I want him to have a good time (playing hockey) with the intention of helping the team on both sides of the ice."

Demidov brings skill and confidence from his strong KHL season. The Canadiens are excited about his future. Still, the team wants to keep things simple for him. They don’t want to put too much pressure on his debut. Instead, they hope he learns and grows with the team.

Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher talked about Ivan Demidov

Montreal Canadiens believe Ivan Demidov can be a good player for them in the upcoming years. But, they want him to develop the right way. Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher also spoke about Demidov joining the lineup. Gallagher said Demidov should stay calm and play his usual game.

“He doesn’t need to come in here and play hero, he just has to be himself,” Gallagher said, as quoted by Insider Eric Engels on X.

St. Louis and Gallagher both made it clear he isn’t expected to do everything. Monday’s game will be a big moment, but only the start. The team hopes he gets comfortable and improves over time, as it heads into the playoffs.