Can Ivan Demidov Avoid the Sophomore Slump?
His Summer in Montreal Offers Some Clues
Ivan Demidov set the bar high in his first full NHL season.
The Montreal Canadiens forward finished his rookie campaign with 19 goals and 62 points in 82 games, leading all NHL rookies in scoring. Now comes another challenge: following it up.
The dreaded sophomore slump has caught plenty of talented young NHL players over the years. It isn’t inevitable. Plenty of stars have taken another step forward in Year 2. But a strong rookie season doesn’t guarantee an even better second act. Opponents have a full season of video, tendencies become more familiar and expectations rise.
There are already some encouraging signs for Demidov. He spent his first full NHL offseason preparing for the challenge ahead.
Demidov Stayed Close to the Rink
Sportsnet’s Eric Engels provided an interesting glimpse into Demidov’s offseason on Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 669: Atlantic Division Preview.
The conversation turned to how much time Demidov and Lane Hutson had spent around the Canadiens’ practice facility. Engels said Demidov had been in Montreal “a bit more” than Hutson, who returned home to Chicago.
Engels also recalled running into Demidov during the summer. He suggested Demidov take a trip to Chicago to visit Hutson.
Demidov’s response was simple:
“No, I love Montreal.”
It was a lighthearted exchange, but what Engels described next offered a better idea of just how committed Demidov was to his offseason work.
Engels said Demidov was going to the Canadiens’ practice rink a couple of times a day. He was also working with Canadiens director of hockey development Adam Nicholas. According to Engels, Nicholas would “show up every single day to the rink” to put Demidov through “two workouts a day.”
Engels also described the competitive relationship between Demidov and Hutson.
“These guys push each other to an incredible extent,” he said.
His larger point was about the passion both young players have for hockey and the work they put into developing their games. For a Canadiens organization building around a growing collection of young talent, that’s an encouraging sign. Two of its most gifted players are pushing themselves — and each other — to improve.
A Different Demidov in Year 2?
All that summer work matters only if it translates once the games begin to count, but some of the earliest signs are intriguing.
In Montreal’s 4-3 overtime preseason win over Toronto, Demidov scored and generated nine shot attempts. Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis also told Sportsnet that he sees more jump, power and strength in Demidov’s game.
Perhaps even more interesting is what Demidov himself wants to change.
After establishing himself as an gifted playmaker during his rookie season, Demidov has talked about developing more of a shooter’s mentality and finding a better balance between looking for the pass and taking the shot himself.
The numbers suggest there’s room for it.
Demidov recorded 127 shots on goal across 82 games last season — about 1.55 per game — while still producing 43 assists and 62 points. By comparison, fellow rookie Beckett Sennecke registered 197 shots while finishing just behind Demidov with 60 points.
Demidov doesn’t need to stop being a playmaker. His vision and creativity are among the qualities that make him dangerous.
But becoming a more frequent shooting threat could make that playmaking even harder to defend.
If defenders have to respect Demidov’s shot rather than anticipating the pass, passing lanes can open. If they back off, he has another way to attack them. That’s the type of adjustment that could become particularly important in a second NHL season, when opponents have already had a year to study what a young player likes to do.
Can Demidov Avoid the Sophomore Slump?
There’s no formula for avoiding a sophomore slump.
Some young NHL stars have taken a step backward statistically in their second seasons, while others have maintained their rookie production or taken another significant step forward.
Mathew Barzal, for example, went from 85 points during his Calder Trophy-winning rookie season to 62 in Year 2. Auston Matthews went in the other direction on a per-game basis: although injuries limited him to 62 games during his sophomore season, his scoring rate increased from roughly 0.84 points per game as a rookie to just over a point per game.
The point isn’t that Demidov is destined for either outcome. It’s that Year 2 can go in very different directions.
And Demidov enters his sophomore season with an interesting combination of circumstances.
He already produced 62 points without being a particularly high-volume shooter. According to Engels’ account, he spent significant time around Montreal and the Canadiens’ practice rink during the summer, working extensively with Nicholas. He has another highly motivated young star in Hutson pushing alongside him. And now he’s openly talking about adding another offensive weapon by shooting the puck more often.
None of that guarantees a breakout.
A strong preseason performance certainly doesn’t guarantee one either.
But after everything Demidov accomplished as a rookie, the most interesting question isn’t simply whether he can score more than 62 points.
It’s whether all that offseason work — combined with the experience of his rookie season and a willingness to evolve his offensive game — can make Demidov a more complete and less predictable player in Year 2.
If it does, the sophomore slump may be something Demidov leaves for somebody else to worry about.
