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Canadiens' Prospect Psyched to Play With Friend

A Montreal Canadiens prospect is a good friend of a current right winger for the team, and looks forward to playing on a line with him.

Tyler Major-Mcnicol

Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) plays the puck against Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) plays the puck against Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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Very seldom does a team select a player 34th overall that was their 16th ranked (2025) prospect on their draft list, but that is exactly what the Montreal Canadiens have done.

The Canadiens packaged their two earliest second-day selections (41 & 49) to move up to pick 34. General manager Kent Hughes struck on Alexander Zharovsky like a viper, stealing a guy right from under the nose of a cluster of GM's looking to draft the flashy Russian winger.

Zharovsky had reportedly been on the team's radar for some time, as Canadiens management confirmed that they had visited with Zharovsky and his camp during their visits on Russian soil to visit 2024 fifth overall selection Ivan Demidov.

The Gold Star camp, dedicated to showcasing the top Russian prospects, also had a couple members of the Canadiens' management in attendance. Obviously, in retrospect, they were there to watch Zharovsky. The Klin, Russia prospect was their guy all along, and amazingly, nobody knew. He fell right into Hughes' hands.

It was revealed after the draft that Demidov and Zharovsky are good friends, and the 18-year-old looks forward to playing on a line with the Canadiens candidate for the 2025 Calder Memorial Trophy. Together, Demidov and Zharovsky could be magic for the Canadiens.

Hughes must be thrilled at the idea that the two Russians could come together and be a problem for the league for the next 15-20 years.

The confidence that Zharovsky exudes with those comments is considerably high, much like his potential. The Canadiens' swing on him is indicative of confidence in that potential, and this guy could be one of the diamonds of the entire draft.

Demidov knew this all along, and it's safe to say that Zharovsky will have a couch to sleep on when he comes to Montreal.

Hours of highlights on YouTube indicate that the Canadiens took a swing on a guy that has some of the best puck handles in the draft class, and a lethal combination of vision and awareness that he pairs with killer offensive zone instincts to manipulate defenders and create beautiful displays of circus-style passes.

Set to play another season in the Russian MHL for Tolpar UFA, Zharovsky could stand to add 15-20 pounds of muscle to his six-foot-one, 164-pound frame. It's less that he isn't strong, and more that he can elevate his already dynamic skillset to another level with some added brawn, which will serve him especially well in a top-six NHL role down the road.

Visa issues dampened any plans of Hughes' coveted top prospect attending development camp, slated for July 1-3 at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, Quebec. This will only heighten the excitement preceding his eventual arrival in Montreal down the road.

Zharovsky will look to follow up his 24-goal, 26-assist rookie season with a standout sophomore year, in the biggest year of Zharovsky's career, and also the one that will be most viewed by North American hockey fans.

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Tyler Major-Mcnicol
TYLER MAJOR-MCNICOL

Tyler is a former Algonquin College journalism graduate, and passionate hockey fan. His love for the Montreal Canadiens comes second to his love of hockey. With two daughter’s under four years old, hockey is always a topic of conversation. Nothing gets me quite excited like an empty canvas waiting to have a story written on it, and the smell of fresh ice in the air.

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