Montreal Canadiens fans cannot wait until the day they see Demidov tear it up on the ice for their team, and that day may now come sooner rather than later. Demidov was supposed to fulfil another year of his contract over in Russia, however some recent changes in the relationship between the KHL and the Russian Hockey Federation may allow Demidov to come to the NHL a lot sooner than expected.
The KHL will no longer be attached to the Russian Hockey Federation, which will give it greater control over its own personal affairs. The KHL has stated that while it will continue to respect contracts that Russian players have with various foreign leagues, the teams will now be able to agree to financial terms that will free a player from certain contractual obligations, allowing them to head over to North America sooner.

Just because new rules will potentially allow players like Demidov to come to North America earlier, doesn't mean he will necessarily be playing immediately for the Habs, as some fans out there are still skeptical on his performance.
Regardless of how quickly Demidov suits up for the Habs, fans can take comfort knowing their Habs definitely drafted a real gem.
Credit The Hockey News:
Could Demidov Join the Canadiens Early?
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 16 | 154 ANSWERS Montreal Canadiens insider drops shocking information on Ivan Demidov's future Will Ivan Demidov be a regular player on the Habs roster as early as next season? | ||
| Yes | 68 | 44.2 % |
| No | 86 | 55.8 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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LIVE
OCTOBER 26, 2025
| ||||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mason Lohrei | - | 3 | 3 | |
| William Eklund | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Marco Rossi | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Josh Morrissey | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Simon Nemec | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Viktor Arvidsson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Connor Bedard | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Connor Brown | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael Carcone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan DeMelo | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael Eyssimont | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Morgan Geekie | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Arseny Gritsyuk | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Hughes | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Marcus Johansson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| William Karlsson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nathan MacKinnon | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jonathan Marchessault | 1 | - | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Canadiens | 10 | 7 | 3 | - | 14 | |
| Red Wings | 9 | 6 | 3 | - | 12 | |
| Panthers | 10 | 5 | 5 | - | 10 | |
| Sabres | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | |
| Senators | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | |
| Maple Leafs | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | |
| Bruins | 10 | 4 | 6 | - | 8 | |
| Lightning | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Devils | 8 | 7 | 1 | - | 14 | |
| Penguins | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 13 | |
| Hurricanes | 8 | 6 | 2 | - | 12 | |
| Capitals | 9 | 6 | 3 | - | 12 | |
| Islanders | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
| Flyers | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
| Blue Jackets | 8 | 4 | 4 | - | 8 | |
| Rangers | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 8 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Mammoth | 9 | 7 | 2 | - | 14 | |
| Avalanche | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 13 | |
| Jets | 8 | 6 | 2 | - | 12 | |
| Blackhawks | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| Predators | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 10 | |
| Stars | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
| Blues | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
| Wild | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | |
| Kraken | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |
| Ducks | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
| Oilers | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | |
| Kings | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | |
| Canucks | 9 | 4 | 5 | - | 8 | |
| Sharks | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | |
| Flames | 9 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||