Ivan Demidov isn’t heading back to Russia, and he’s made himself right at home in Montreal.
The Canadiens winger said he has stayed in the city year-round since joining the club at the end of the 2024-25 season, living with his Russian girlfriend, Katya Yakovleva. When asked whether he had gone back home, Demidov kept it simple.
"Not really," he said. "I'm happy to be here."
He also said Montreal suits both of them.
"She's doing well, too," Demidov said. "We like the city. It's pretty much similar to where we are (from) in Russia."
The Canadiens’ latest roster addition is already giving Martin St. Louis a familiar face to coach.
Chris Kreider, signed as a free agent last weekend after his contract with the Anaheim Ducks was mutually terminated for salary-cap reasons, will be the first former teammate St. Louis gets behind the bench.
St. Louis and Kreider were teammates with the New York Rangers in the final two seasons of St.
Louis’ playing career, in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Kreider came away with a clear impression of the man now coaching him.
“For me, having been lucky enough to play with him towards the end there in New York, even back then, he was almost like a player-coach,” Kreider said about St. Louis at the Canadiens' golf tournament.
“The intensity, the tenacity and just the things that he brought to the rink every day. I don’t think that I can say that I’ve learned more from any one individual than the time that I spent playing with him on his line. Super wise, incredibly smart, even back then you knew he’d be a great coach.”
St. Louis thinks Kreider still has plenty left.
The 35-year-old winger posted 22-28-50 in 75 games with the Ducks last season, and the coach believes the size-speed package still plays. Kreider checks in at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, and the numbers from NHL EDGE back up the fit.
According to NHL.com, since the puck and player tracking era began in 2021-22, Kreider ranks second in high-danger goals with 130 and seventh in high-danger shots on goal with 537. Over the last five seasons, he leads the league with 25 tip-in goals. His top skating speed last season with Anaheim, 22.89 mph, also topped the 22.70 mph he hit the year before with the Rangers.
"Ultimately, I think what he brings is size, speed, experience, net front and interior play," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said about Kreider. "Some of the things that we feel like we could have used a little more of."
There’s also the ongoing possibility of Arber Xhekaj spending time up front. St. Louis opened training camp by saying he wouldn’t shy away from using the 6-foot-6, 236-pound defenseman at forward if it helped keep his size and physical edge in the lineup, though he also said it wasn’t something he was dwelling on.
Xhekaj said Thursday he’d be willing to give it a shot. He already has one game at left wing on his résumé, filling in against the Carolina Hurricanes last season when Josh Anderson was out with an illness.
"I think I got pretty good hands, pretty good shot and I can make plays," Xhekaj said when he met with the media in Brossard. "So I'm not scared to kind of try it. I think being a big body and watching Slaf and those guys kind of play that role I kind of learned a few things and I think I'd be OK if it came down to it."
Florian Xhekaj, Arber’s younger brother and a forward at training camp, would welcome the chance to join him. Measured at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Florian said he’d love the idea of lining up with Arber and Josh Anderson.
"If we got to be on the same line, me him and Andy (Josh Anderson) would be a Demolition Line, so it would be fun," Florian said.
In Other News...
Patrik Laine's Market Just Took A Turn Canadiens Fans Should Watch
Patrik Laines free agency has settled into a strange holding pattern, and the longer it goes on, the more the landscape around him seems to shift. The winger played only five games last season because of injury and has seen his production dip since arriving in Montreal, yet he still has not signed anywhere after the market opened, leaving plenty of room for teams to keep circling.
Pierre LeBrun has now suggested another club could be in the mix, and the ripple effect matters for Canadiens fans because Laines next move is still very much part of Montreals recent story. Several teams have reportedly shown interest already, including Ottawa, the Islanders, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Florida, Toronto and Los Angeles, and the uncertainty only grows as the market searches for a fit. [Read more 🡒]
Florian Xhekaj Just Forced A Bigger Canadiens Roster Debate
Florian Xhekaj has already spent enough of Canadiens camp around established NHL players to suggest the organization is taking a closer look at him, and his physical growth has only added to the intrigue. The younger Xhekaj has arrived in better shape and with a more imposing frame, giving Montreal another intriguing option as it sorts through the usual preseason questions about who can handle a bigger role and who still needs more seasoning.
The conversation got louder in the preseason game against Toronto, when Xhekaj dropped the gloves and added some edge to a roster fight that already had plenty of attention on it. With Arber Xhekaj also back in the Canadiens organization on a one-year deal, the family angle only sharpens the debate around whether Florian is simply bringing energy and toughness to camp or forcing the front office to think harder about how soon he can fit into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Arber Xhekaj Deal Puts Canadiens Blue Line Plans Under The Spotlight
Arber Xhekaj is back under contract with the Canadiens after a drawn-out negotiation that left Montreals blue line looking crowded for much of the summer. The one-year deal keeps the physical defenseman in the fold and gives the team another layer of depth on a back end that had been the subject of plenty of speculation as the roster took shape.
Xhekaj made it clear he would have liked more term, but the short deal also gives him a chance to re-establish himself and set up his next round of talks. He also confirmed Montreal had been pursuing trades to sort out the defense mix, though none came together, leaving the Canadiens to carry those roster questions into camp and beyond. [Read more 🡒]