Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.
What do all those names have in common?
Each forms half of a legendary tandem, one that produced one Stanley Cup championship and sometimes several. In the cases of the first two dynamic duos, both players were drafted in later seasons (Malkin No. 2 in 2004, Crosby No. 1 in 2005, Toews No. 3 in 2006, and Kane No. 1 in 2007). It’s safe to say those decisions worked out pretty well for the Penguins and Blackhawks.
This summer, Chicago has the power to repeat almost exactly the same process as before by selecting Russian star forward Ivan Demidov with the second overall pick. After being fortunate enough to select Connor Bedard with the first pick last year, the Blackhawks once again find themselves with the opportunity to add a potentially elite talent to their first forward line of the future, forming a lethal young pairing with Bedard, who He has already shown why. He is the cornerstone of the franchise.
The Blackhawks will count on whoever they select with the second pick to transform their franchise, and few prospects are better suited to do so than Demidov. Demidov, star of SKA St. Petersburg, is best known for his dynamic ability with the puck. He’s not the fastest straight-line skater, but his craftiness and creativity make him a lethal passer and playmaker.
Multiple experts have praised Demidov’s skill and work ethic. His creativity makes him an attractive option for the Blackhawks’ power-play unit, which was among the worst in the NHL last season. Imagining him finding Bedard for high-danger scoring opportunities is enough to make any general manager salivate.
Demidov seems like an obvious choice for Chicago at the No. 2 spot, but he’s not without his flaws. His average size isn’t an individual problem, but he doesn’t solve the problem with Chicago’s already thin group of forwards. He is also an “unorthodox” skater, with a movement that allows him to increase playing ability, but at the cost of a high risk of injury from taking big hits.
In pre-Draft debates over whether the Blackhawks should take Demidov or defenseman Artyom Levshunov with the second pick, the biggest concern for the former is the fear that he won’t be able to come from Russia as soon as Chicago would like. However, since Demidov’s contract expires after next season, he has already refused to renew his contract in the KHL. Since players beyond No. 1 overall typically join the NHL about a year after being drafted, there’s a chance Demidov won’t miss more time than a North American prospect with the same skill set. Are the Blackhawks willing to trust him to join the team next season?
The idea of Demidov joining an elite duo in Chicago similar to some of the most successful teams in history is certainly exciting. Despite some concerns about his game and where he stands, Demidov is one of the more interesting prospects in recent years and has certainly earned his fair share of consideration with the Blackhawks’ second pick.
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