A Trade Between the Canadiens and Devils Involving Ivan Demidov's Friend Has Been Suggested

This wouldn't be a first in the NHL, as Chicago did something similar in 2015 by bringing in Viktor Tikhonov to help facilitate Artemi Panarin's arrival.

Two of Demidov's teammates at SKA Saint Petersburg are drawing attention in this regard, Zakhar Bardakov and Arseny Gritsyuk.

Bardakov belongs to the Colorado Avalanche, while Gritsyuk is property of the New Jersey Devils.

These are two teams that likely aren't strongly committed to keeping these young players, but they could be far more useful to the Habs, or at least one of them could be.

In a potential depth trade with Colorado or New Jersey around the draft, the Canadiens could target one of these two players, not just for Demidov but for several other reasons, including adding offensive depth, especially if Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak leave this summer.

Expert Igor Eronko believes Gritsyuk would be a more interesting option than Bardakov, whom he considers offensively limited.

Gritsyuk, on the other hand, is fast, skilled with the puck, and could fit in well with the team if his contract in Russia expires this summer.

Currently, the Canadiens have no players from the same country as Demidov in their lineup or prospect pool, so acquiring a friend of his could be a smart strategy to help with his adjustment to North America.

Kent Hughes will have to decide whether this move is worth pursuing.

This idea was brought up before the NHL trade deadline, though it obviously didn't materialize, but it could be seriously explored by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton during the summer.

Do you like this idea?

We know that the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes, and the New Jersey Devils have a strong trade history together, so could Arseny Gritsyuk be the next Habs acquisition from New Jersey?

Arseny Gritsyuk, 24 years old, is a 6-foot, 194-pound forward who has put up an impressive 42 points in 47 KHL games this season with SKA.