Montreal’s Russian prospects have not had rosy times so far this season. Ice time has been scarce for Ivan Demidov and Makar Khanin, and Yevgeni Volokhin’s hopes of playing pro were quickly extinguished after two mediocre performances.
Ivan Demidov was benched for all but two shifts in the second half of his Sept. 29 game versus Kunlun after taking a tripping call that was questionable at best. What made it especially puzzling is that Demidov assisted on SKA’s only goal and was their best player through 30 minutes. He is tied for second in scoring on SKA despite only averaging 12 minutes of ice time per game.
Demidov is averaging 3.9 points per 60 minutes, while the leading scorer, Marat Khairullin, is averaging 3.3 points per 60 minutes. So why is he 20th overall in team ice time? Demidov can’t get over to North America soon enough.
Goaltender Yevgeni Volokhin’s numbers seemed excellent last season, but there were underlying factors, and his start to the season in the VHL put things into better perspective.
Playing in a higher-scoring league on a team that gives up more chances than his Mamonty Yugry MHL club, Volokhin had a .857 save percentage with VHL club Yugra before being sent back to junior.
After six games back in junior, Volohkin’s save percentage is .940. You would think that would put him among the league leaders, but he sits 10th among goalies who have played multiple games to start the MHL season.
Montreal’s prospect watchers raved at Volohkin’s MHL numbers last season, but there were games I scouted where he may have faced two difficult shots. Mamonty Yugry had a solid defence, and it looks to be the case once again. We will have a better idea of his potential when he makes the pro ranks permanently – hopefully next season.
Makar Khanin has been caught in limbo so far this season. The 2024 seventh-round pick has played only three games: two with Dynamo St. Petersburg in the VHL and one with their junior club. The two clubs combined have played 19 games, so this needs to get sorted out. The junior team is a powerhouse that includes highly regarded prospects Ivan Lyabkin and Kurban Limatov. Send him back and let them vie for a league title.
