SKA St. Petersburg’s Season Ends, Montreal Fans Await Demidov’s Arrival

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — SKA St. Petersburg‘s season came to a close last week after two consecutive overtime losses to Dynamo Moscow in the KHL playoffs. The elimination is bittersweet for Montreal Canadiens fans, eagerly anticipating the arrival of top prospect Ivan Demidov once he finishes his commitments in Russia.

Demidov, a standout forward, is now expected to participate in the playoffs for both the VHL (the country’s second-tier league) and possibly the MHL (the under-21 league). SKA’s VHL affiliate, SKA Neva, recently swept Rubin Tyumen in a six-game series to advance, while SKA-1946 also enjoyed a first-round victory against Krasnaya Armiya, setting the stage for a busy playoff run for the young star.

The timeline could see Demidov play through the third week of April, meaning the Canadiens may need to secure their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ first round to feature him this season. Demidov has made significant strides this year, setting a VHL record for U20 scoring with 19 goals and 49 points in just 65 games, surpassing a previous mark of 42 points.

His impressive performance in the MHL adds to his credentials, having scored 23 goals and 60 points in 30 games last season and 62 points in 41 games the year before. His talents could bolster SKA’s depth, making them a formidable opponent in a seven-game series.

In other hockey news, star San Jose Sharks prospect Quentin Musty has been assigned to the AHL‘s Barracuda for their final games of the season. Musty had an explosive season with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, tallying 30 goals and 59 points in 33 games, despite facing a hand injury that sidelined him for two months.

Returning with vigor, Musty scored five points in his first game post-injury and has contributed 42 points in the last 25 games. As a power forward, his skills and aggressive style have strengthened his position within the Sharks organization.

However, the Sharks received troubling news regarding defense prospect Artem Mukhamadullin, who will miss the remainder of the season due to an upper-body injury. This situation also includes any chance of participating in the Calder Cup Playoffs, which the Barracuda are poised to qualify for.

Mukhamadullin’s season ended with modest stats — nine points in the NHL and AHL combined, arising from 30 NHL games and 21 AHL appearances. His record includes two early NHL goals after previously only amassing one assist through his initial three games last season, a challenging start to his North American journey.

In further updates, the Los Angeles Kings are facing a setback with winger Tanner Jeannot, who will require additional time to recover from an undisclosed injury that has sidelined him for six games. Jeannot’s condition was labeled as day-to-day following a March 25 injury during a game against the New York Rangers.

The injury was sustained on a non-contact play, raising concerns among Kings fans about its severity. Jeannot was enjoying a productive stretch, with four points in his last three games, marking a significant portion of his yearly scoring tally.

Currently, he leads the Kings with 211 hits, but the absence of shooting success compared to his days with the Nashville Predators has made his role more challenging. Since acquiring Jeannot in a trade, Los Angeles has had to adapt, utilizing younger players to fill the void created by his injury.