The 2024 NHL Entry Draft will be here before we know it, so it’s time to start looking at who the Blue Jackets could pick with the fourth overall pick on Friday, June 28.
Macklin Celebrini will be the first pick in the draft and will go to the San Jose Sharks. Many consider him to be behind Bedard in terms of skill, but not by much. Missing out on winning the lottery yet again was another blow to the most tortured fans in the NHL, but there will still be a very good player available at fourth overall. The first player we will take a look at is Ivan Demidov.
Last year’s draft featured Matvei Michkov, a highly skilled winger who many considered to be the second most talented player. However, due to concerns about his timeline to come to North America and a plethora of centers at the top of the board, he ended up falling to seventh. Some believe Demidov to be close to, if not better than, Michkov.
Demidov strikes me as a player you do not pass up if he’s available after the first three picks. His creativity and raw skill are through the roof. The Blue Jackets may not be in need of more wingers, but you can always make room for a player who may have a Panarin or Kaprizov level ceiling. That said, I think it makes too much sense for him to play for the Blackhawks, who own the second pick, alongside Connor Bedard.
Ivan Demidov
Position: Right Wing
Team: SKA St. Petersburg
Date of Birth: December 10, 2005
Birthplace: Sergiyev Posad, Russia
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 168 lbs
Shoots: Left
Rankings
Ranked #2 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #2 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #2 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #5 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #2 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #6 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
Ranked #3 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #2 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #2 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU Skaters)
Ranked #2 by SPORTSNET/BUKALA
Ranked #2 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #2 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
Ranked #3 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #2 by SMAHT SCOUTING
2023-24 Stats
SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
Games: 30
Goals: 23
Assists: 37
Points: 60
PIM: 20
Scouting Reports
He’s got elite handling (though he can get himself into trouble trying to beat two or three guys in a crowd, he also often beats multiple guys in a sequence) and made more one-on-one skill plays this season (including, unabated, in the postseason) than almost any prospect I’ve scouted for any draft. He’s also a pretty engaged off-puck player who keeps his feet moving, hunts pucks on the forecheck, and can turn a steal into a game-breaking play in an instant. Demidov’s one of the most purely talented prospects to come out of Russia in recent memory (his game also has more of a pro style, competitiveness and roundedness to it than Matvei Michkov’s had at the same age) and scouts really like him. He profiles as a point-producing star winger and PP specialist.
Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
I think he’s a better player than Michkov. He’s Kucherov to me. He can pass, he can shoot. He’s brilliant. Like Kucherov, they step out onto the ice and they’re immediately dangerous. The puck ends up on their stick and it’s like, buckle up, pay attention, you’re going for a ride.
Craig Button, TSN
The most dynamic, fun, and exciting player in the draft, Demidov just oozes skill and creativity in every facet of his game. The way he’s able to slow the game down and weave around defences—sometimes a bit too much—is mesmerising; his small area skill is really impressive, and the creativity and quickness that he brings makes him an electrifying player to watch. In my eyes, he’s still a strong contender for first overall, and he’ll likely remain my personal #1 for the rest of the year; the dynamic skill that he has could make him a uniquely talented player in the NHL, and the prospect of where that could take him is so exciting to me.
Gray Matter, Smaht Scouting