NHL analyst advises to limit expectations from Canadiens 19-year-old Ivan Demidov

There is massive hype surrounding Ivan Demidov, a prospect for the Montreal Canadiens who recently signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club and has arrived in North America to join them.

But during the most recent airing of TSN's "First Up," former NHL defenseman and current Insider Carlo Colaiacovo cautioned fans from expecting too much from the young player who has yet to play a single game in the NHL.

So, like, it's not like—it's not like he's just going to show up—and maybe he will—but it's not like he's just going to show up and light the world on fire. If he does, credit to him," he said. "It's unbelievable. But we shouldn't expect him to do that.... I think, you know, he’s going to be an unbelievable player. Montreal has turned the corner in their rebuild, and they’re now going to make the playoffs, and they’re adding the guy who’s the most skilled of the bunch—which, you know, excites a lot of people. But I think for right now, we do have to keep things reasonable when it comes to what his impact can be in the near future."

This season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, Demidov scored 19 goals with 30 assists in 65 games before having his contract terminated, enabling him to join the Canadiens.

He was drafted with the fifth overall selection in 2024 by Montreal, which is nearing its first Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance since 2021.

Multiple players throughout NHL history failed to live up to expectations

There have been multiple examples of players throughout NHL history who were heavily hyped upon their entrance into the league but failed to live up to expectations, resulting in disappointed fans.

One of the most notable examples of an NHL draft bust is Alexander Daigle, who was the first overall pick by the Ottawa Senators in the 1993 NHL draft; he ultimately bounced around the League, putting up 327 points in 616 total games.

Another example is Russian forward Nail Yakupov, who was one of many first overall draft selections by the Edmonton Oilers over the years. Not only did he come nowhere close to living up to the hype he entered the NHL with, but he was soon out of the League and back playing overseas before long.

While it's exciting to have a talented young prospect about to make his NHL debut, the lesson is don't assume that a player is automatically going to be a great player.