After the San Jose Sharks step to the podium at the Sphere in Las Vegas Friday and select forward Macklin Celebrini first overall, the NHL Draft has the potential to take some twists and turns in the early stages.

My personal draft list has Russian forward Ivan Demidov (SKA St. Petersburg) securely ranked second. I’ve been high on Demidov dating back to the fall. His combination of speed, skill, and power are elements I believe will translate to a top end scorer in the NHL.

The Chicago Blackhawks hold the second pick. They might value Demidov the way I do, or they could go in a different direction by selecting right-shot defenceman Artyom Levshunov (Michigan State, NCAA). Is there a chance they trade down from number two? I suppose, but only if they see equal value in the next seven or eight prospects on their draft board.

And is there any chance the Blackhawks pass on Demidov at second overall and then the Ducks pass on him as well at three?

Time will tell. Demidov is one of the early wild cards in this draft, but I’m sticking with him as the best option for the second overall pick. Here’s my breakdown of Demidov, supported with some clips from this season.

DECEPTION

Some goal scorers have a “grip it and rip it” approach — think Steven Stamkos one-timing pucks from the weak side flank on the power play — while others are more calculated at times. Demidov is the latter.

Demidov is an elite offensive talent with elite hockey sense in high danger scoring areas. He can be deceptive with the puck on his stick when he walks off the wall, or makes plays from below the goal line.

Here’s an example of Demidov stepping to the middle of the ice and using the defender as a screen to score a goal through traffic:

POWER

Demidov is plenty strong for the NHL game. He’s been measured at 6-foot-and-a-half, and 192 pounds. I’ve discussed his puck touch and hockey sense going on offence, but there isn’t a lot of time and space available in the NHL. More often than not players have to power through checks to create scoring chances. Demidov is difficult to check in motion and in the trenches.

Teams around the world at all levels are using the neutral zone flip pass as a way to generate speed and scoring chances in transition. The following clip illustrates Demidov “loading” in his zone to generate speed, corralling a puck in the neutral zone, and powering to the net.

READ, REACT AND EXPLODE

Today’s brand of pro hockey is being played quicker and faster than it ever has before. Players who don’t provide some sort of “burst” exiting their defensive zone to go on offence (with and without the puck on their stick) are a dying breed. Players have to read the play and react to what they identify either as a need to defend, or to attack offensively and then explode to the open ice to create scoring chances.

Here’s an example of Demidov out-racing his opponents up ice after identifying his teammate had control of the puck:

Almost all offensive talents will frustrate coaches on occasion with a lack of detail off the puck and on the back-check. Players like Aleksander Barkov and Anze Kopitar are a coach’s dream because they are rare talents who score and check consistently.

I have to say, Demidov rarely disappointed me with his defensive awareness as I went through the process of breaking down dozens of his games this season. But there is always a coachable moment to be found somewhere in the process.

Here is an example of one of them:

Setting your feet in glide motion from the offensive zone face-off dot all the way back to your zone is never a good look. Like I said, this very rarely happened in any of the games I broke down, but it certainly did in this sequence.

The goal against was scored from the flank, but Demidov needed to be more engaged with the opponent off the puck who was coasting to the middle of the ice hunting a scoring chance.

AWARENESS AND EXTENSION

Extending plays along the wall is a choice. Some players are programmed to battle more than others and Demidov’s combination of skill and will is noticeable.

In the following clip he takes on two checks to extend a play down low in the zone. He then travels to the crease looking for a tip or rebound as his group works the cycle from low to high. By the time he gains possession behind the net he makes a sneaky backhand pass that results in a tuck for his team:

When players are in the midst of making a line change, they have very little time to adjust to what’s happening as their blades hit the ice. They have to read the play ahead of time from the bench.

In the following clip, Demidov enters the play after a line change. He’s defending the middle of the ice and provides back pressure assisting his defenceman. Once the puck is turned over and ends up on his stick, he is off to the races. He has a plan through the neutral zone to dish the puck to his winger on the flank and drive the middle lane to the crease.

Note: I recognize the shot from distance was a muffin that should have been stopped, but the plan and execution from Demidov is what stands out:

Demidov has been in North America for several weeks, based out of Florida with his agent Dan Milstein and the Gold Star Hockey Agency. He skated in front of all 32 NHL clubs at Gold Star’s prospect camp last week in Fort Lauderdale.

Demidov has one year left on his contract with SKA and is motivated to come to North America to play in the NHL sooner than later.

For all of these reasons, he’s the No. 2 ranked prospect on my list and a player who I envision contributing in the NHL at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.