Confirmed with Link: Canadiens sign KHL goalie Vasili Demchenko

[donghabs98]

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[Adam Michaels]

 

[sharks9]

Sooooo Price's backup next year?

 

[Adam Michaels]

Vasili Demchenko at eliteprospects.com

Vasily Demchenko Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

 

[Adam Michaels]

$700K in the NHL
$70K in the AHL.
$92.5K Signing Bonus.

 

[Sterling Archer]

But why????

 

[Le Tricolore]

Mediocre numbers compared to the starting goalie on both of his teams last year, but whatever.

 

[SquiddFX]

So I am guessing McNiven is going to be the odd man out?

 

[Adam Michaels]

Sooooo Price's backup next year?

Seems like it. Barring any trades, my guess is Montreal will let Demchenko and Lindgren battle it out for Price's back up.

This may mean that McNiven won't be extended? Because if Lindgren makes the team out of camp, Demchenko will go down to Laval with Primeau. If Demchenko makes the Habs, then Lindgren will be sent to Laval.

This is just a guess, obviously. Because honestly, I'd love to see a Primeau/McNiven duo in Laval.

 

[Le Tricolore]

So.. if my quick research is correct, if this guy plays a game for Montreal, he'd be the first ever Russian goalie to do so.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Was .930+ in 16-17 through 18-19, not sure why his numbers dipped last year but maybe his team was worse or something. You could do worse than gambling on a 26 year old with three .930+ KHL seasons.

 

[Vachon23]

I don’t really understand that move.. probably better then Lindgren but he’s not what we need as a backup and he’s probably not coming here to be Primeau backup in the AHL

 

[Habsfan18]

So.. if my quick research is correct, if this guy plays a game for Montreal, he'd be the first ever Russian goalie to do so.

Makes me think back to when Vadim Tarasov was one of our top goalie prospects along with Mathieu Garon and of course Jose Theodore, although by that time Theo was becoming an NHL regular.

 

[Hope Of Glory]

Was .930+ in 16-17 through 18-19, not sure why his numbers dipped last year but maybe his team was worse or something. You could do worse than gambling on a 26 year old with three .930+ KHL seasons.

Yeah, those three seasons are definitely intriguing.

No real downside to signing him and some upside, good signing.

Hopefully people won't overhype like they do everytime we sign some obscure Euro player. Most of them don't become anything but it's worth the try for sure.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He will go back to the KHL if he loses the back up job. Let's be real.

 

[Jaycro]

Why sign him? We have tenders coming out the old wazoo!

 

[Hope Of Glory]

From knowledgeable poster Caser over on the trade boards:

''No need to look at the very mediocre Demchenko's stat line from this season, as he has proven he can be much better than that by carrying a pretty bad Traktor team on his back for quite some time before. Reports appeared that the Habs' GM Marc Bergevin sees him as a backup for the next season, this might be the change of scenery that gets Demchenko back on track.''

This was his prediction on his upside and where he ends up from April 1st.

 

[wildD]

I don’t really understand this move.. Unless a trade or Lindgren buyout, i don't think he is coming here to be Primeau backup in the AHL at the age of 26.

 

[Adam Michaels]

A little note on why the Habs contract with Demchenko and Leafs with Barbanov were approved and the Grigorenko one with Columbus was rejected (since they're all coming from the KHL):

 

[Adam Michaels]

Why sign him? We have tenders coming out the old wazoo!

Right now, only Price, Lindgren, and Primeau are under contract next year.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I don’t really understand this move.. Unless a trade or Lindgren buyout, i don't think he is coming here to be Primeau backup in the AHL at the age of 26.

Maybe a trade will happen. But right now, Habs only have Price, Lindgren, and Primeau under contract next season. With Demchenko, they now have 4. 2 in the NHL and 2 in the AHL.

It's safe to bet that he does have a European clause in his contract.

Edit: Demchenko does not have a European clause:

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Adam Michaels]

For what it's worth, Romanov and Demchenko have the same agent:

 

[Eegs]

So I am guessing McNiven is going to be the odd man out?

At this point, If i'm McNiven, i'm telling the Habs to go F their hat

 

[Adam Michaels]