In just over three weeks, all 32 NHL teams will meet in Las Vegas for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Anaheim Ducks have the third pick in this year's draft, where they will have a choice between several top prospects. Despite the top pick, it's hard to gauge who will be available – the San Jose Sharks will select Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick, but the Chicago Blackhawks will be on the next watch for the actual first choice of the draft.
Related: Ducks 2024 NHL Draft Target: Anton Silayev
In the coming weeks, we'll examine the players who could be available in Anaheim third overall. Today, we look at Ivan Demidov, a defenseman who spent most of last season in the Russian Junior Hockey League (MHL). After Celebrini, Demidov is the most exciting striker in the draft, compared to the other elite Russian wingers who define his profile.
The Missing Piece in Anaheim's Top-6
As the Ducks continue to navigate their rebuild, their most glaring weakness is a lack of scoring. Even with recent draft picks spent on Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, and Leo Carlsson, the Ducks haven't cracked the bottom 10 in goals per game per season since their last trip to the playoffs in 2017-18. It's not like the team is ignoring the issue – the oldest on the team is 23-year-old Zegras, so their offensive ceiling will rise. In addition, they acquired Cutter Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers in January. While those three aforementioned players lean toward the playmaking side of the spectrum, Gauthier is a pure shooter.
Demidov's offensive game is very well prepared for a youngster, in part due to his patience as a puck carrier. Primarily a goal scorer, he lit up 23 times in 30 games during his most recent regular season with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg in the MHL. As a result, he gets more attention when he is in the offensive zone. His patience allows him to take on those double teams and find open teammates for scoring opportunities.
As a Russian striker moving up the ranks, comparisons to some top talent are inevitable. Demidov will be compared to 100-point wings Kirill Kaprizov and Nikita Kucherov, and his draft profile has plenty of references to Matvei Michkov. To his credit, Demidov is up to the task, as his 60 points in the MHL last season surpassed the under-18 production of Kucherov and Michkov. The Ducks haven't had a player reach a point per game since Ryan Getzlaf's Hart Memorial Trophy runner-up campaign in 2013-14.
Drawing Demidov Is Anaheim's Danger
One of Demidov's biggest knocks has been his production outside of the MHL. He was nothing short of a stint in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Russia's top league and arguably the most competitive player in the world after the NHL. However, the KHL is not a developmental league. It's a high-level, senior league with a desire to win games, not to show off young players who are about to be drafted into the North American league. Additionally, the Russian's more than two-year ban from tournaments means his five points in five games during the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup represent the bulk of his international play.
The Ducks have been one of the lowest-scoring teams of the last decade, but drafting Demidov won't be what makes him a top offense. As mentioned earlier, their top six squad is incredibly young and is starting to round into form. Zegras, McTavish, Carlsson, Gauthier, and Troy Terry should be five-sixths of the unit. In theory, Demidov fits well on the right wing while most of the team are natural centers or left wing. However, general manager Pat Verbeek has proposed adding a top-six pitcher in free agency, which could be a multi-year roadblock for any top pitcher trying to crack the roster.
Adding another top prospect to this forward group is tempting, especially if they are the next 100-point scorers in the NHL. In his latest comedy show, THW data Logan Horn has Anaheim selecting Demidov. However, he has the Blackhawks taking defenseman Artyom Levshunov with the second pick, and he admits the Ducks will have a hard time passing on him if he's available.
While Horn has the Ducks up front, building on defense is a safe bet. Not only do they have a Jamie Drysdale-sized hole in their division after the Gauthier trade, but defensemen are generally more desirable and take longer to develop than wings. Drafting a defenseman at this position would be another top prospect for Anaheim to build around and a valuable trade chip if the Ducks are to compete in the next few years.
Statistics courtesy of Elite Prospects.
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