MONTREAL – The Canadiens’ best move ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft might have been the one they never made.

When Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton were noticeably absent in Fort Lauderdale a week before the Draft, speculation ran wild. However, it was all part of Montreal’s strategic play, employing reverse psychology to help land a coveted, five-star prospect that was largely hidden behind smokescreens in Russia last season.

That prospect, of course, is Ivan Demidov.

Demidov, the ‘clear consensus No. 2 choice’ per TSN’s scouting panel. Demidov, the ‘most singularly skilled prospect in this year’s Draft,’ according to Elite Prospects. And Demidov, the player the Canadiens selected fifth overall at the 2024 NHL Draft at Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28.

“For those wondering why we didn’t go to Florida, it’s because we didn’t want to expose to what extent we were interested [in Demidov],” Hughes revealed following the first round of the Draft. “We didn’t need to interview him.

Translation: The Russian winger was, pardon the Vegas pun, always in the cards for Montreal’s brass.

“We knew of Demidov last year,” the Habs general manager told reporters. “Before we made our pick last year, we were already pretty excited about this guy, depending on where we ended up in the standings.”

Demidov’s future in Montreal incubated over a year, but with so many variables in play it was never a guarantee. Then the Canadiens won the fifth-overall pick at the NHL Draft Lottery and the plans to land the 18-year-old were hatched.

It wasn’t until the Columbus Blue Jackets named Cayden Lindstrom as the No. 4 overall pick that the Canadiens could once-and-for-all hit the Demidov jackpot. And when they did, the theatrics followed.

Celine Dion was invited on stage to announce her hometown team’s pick, lending her Grammy Award-winning voice to the moment as she called Demidov’s name, welcoming him as the newest member of the organization.

Does it get anymore Vegas than that? For Michael Hage, it did. More on that later.

But first, let’s continue on Demidov. The Habs are getting more than just an elite offensive weapon. His 23 goals and 60 points in 30 games and back-to-back MVP awards with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia’s top junior circuit are nothing to scoff at. Yet, it was the 6-foot-1 forward’s character that helped tip the scales for the Canadiens’ GM.

“He has confidence in himself without being arrogant,” explained Hughes, who sees a bit of another one of his top picks in Demidov. “When you’re betting on a kid that has to leave Europe to come to Montreal, with a lot of pressure, like [Juraj] Slafkovsky has gone through, it won’t always be roses. It’s resiliency, to be able to take a punch and keep going. And we’re very confident that, like Slafkovsky, Demidov has that in him.”

The right winger––also capable of playing center––displayed this confidence when he stepped up to the podium to face the Montreal media. Demidov showed comfort in a high-pressure situation, speaking a language he only started learning a year-and-a-half ago.

“The fans love hockey and I, too, love hockey. That’s why [the pressure] is not a problem for me,” Demidov said.

“When people are in their comfort zone and they have no pressure, it’s bad for their development. I love it when people love hockey. That’s why, for me, it’s a really great city,” he told the Canadiens content team a few weeks after the Draft.

The native of Sergiyev Posad, Russia, mentioned Kobe Bryant as his sports idol, inspired by his killer instinct.

Montreal, say hello to Mamba mentality.

Circling back to Vegas, Hage, whom the Canadiens drafted 21st overall, had his own emotional moment when he was selected by the team he grew up idolizing, largely because of his father who tragically passed away last summer.

“When I was younger, I always wore No. 9, because my dad loved Maurice Richard. He’d be so proud right now,” noted the Oakville, ON native.

When Bobrov announced his name, the emotion inside Sphere was palpable––even all the way back in Montreal. His mother was brought to tears in the stands and Hage could barely hold back his own.

“Such a dream, man,” Hage said, visibly shaken, as seen in the Canadiens’ behind-the-scenes draft documentary.

The 18-year-old posted 33-42-75 totals in 54 games with the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League last season, and was awarded the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, presented annually to the NHL Draft prospect who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.

“He was coming in as one of the biggest names of the Draft,” said Montreal’s co-director of amateur scouting, Nick Bobrov. “In a normal year, for a player like that, he probably wouldn’t have fallen [to No. 21].”

Aatos Koivu (son of former Habs captain, Saku Koivu), Logan Sawyer, Tyler Thorpe, Mikus Vecvanags, Owen Protz, Ben Merrill, Makar Khanin and Kasper Bergqvist rounded out the Canadiens 2024 Draft class.

As is the case every year, they won’t all be home runs – it’s practically impossible. How many get on base and how many are bound for the dugout remains the question.

But, when it comes to the Canadiens’ top selections in recent history, Hughes and Gorton have proven to be adept at handling high-stakes picks in the NHL Draft. This is precisely why Hughes, as general manager, and Gorton, as executive vice president of hockey operations, were hired: to rebuild the team’s roster and lay a foundation for long-term success.

And with promising talents like Slafkovsky, Owen Beck, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Jacob Fowler, Demidov and Hage, the Canadiens have gathered the pieces for a brighter future.

“We felt we were fortunate to end up with the players we ended up with in each of those Drafts,” said Bobrov following the conclusion of this year’s event. “They’re different flavors, sizes, styles. You need different types of players to compete for the Cup. They can’t all be the same, but they all need to really want to win and accept the pressure that comes with the territory where our team happens to play. We felt confident that the types of people that we brought into the organization will deal with that pressure aptly.”