Kent Hughes and Nick Bobrov's visit in Russia takes an interesting turn
Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has confirmed he will travel to Russia to meet with the team's number one prospect, Ivan Demidov, who plays in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg.
Elliotte Friedman confirmed the information about a month ago.
The goal of this approach is to build trust with Demidov, who is going through a difficult time in Russia, where he is likely under pressure to sign a new contract with SKA.
At the same time, Mathias Brunet mentioned on the "Process" podcast that Nick Bobrov, assistant director of scouting and originally from Russia, will accompany Hughes on this visit. Bobrov has many contacts in the KHL, particularly with SKA, which could facilitate discussions with Demidov.
Although the Canadiens have other prospects in Russia, such as defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov and goaltender Yevgeni Volokhin, it is unlikely that Hughes will take the time to meet with them. Why? Due to lack of time, that's it!
I'm really looking forward to seeing the impact of this non-visit on the other two Russian prospects. Could it create some distance with these young players, especially with Konyushkov, who had already expressed some frustration with the Canadiens' lack of communication?
Let's remember that the latter is signed until 2026 in the KHL.
To be continued, but despite everything, we hope that the Canadiens will maintain ties with each of his prospects in Russia, in order to reassure them about their place within the organization.
The priority, however, remains to convince Demidov to join the Habs next season, without renewing his contract in the KHL, which should still be done, considering the intentions of the kid.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Ivan Demidov will play with the Canadiens next season? | ||
| Yes | 184 | 90.6 % |
| No | 19 | 9.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
