Demidov brings superstar potential to Canadiens team in need of it

He’s a human highlight reel — a six-foot, 192-pound winger with the deft touch, pristine skating ability, deceptiveness and hockey sense to embarrass his opponents on any given play — and the Canadiens don’t have another player like him in their arsenal.

The first round of the 2024 NHL Draft is complete and while there was no surprise at the very top of the order, there were plenty of twists and turns after Macklin Celebrini’s name was called by the San Jose Sharks.

Alas, we didn’t get the kind of trade flurry we were expecting — but hope remains that those fireworks could kick off on Day 2, where blockbusters have happened before.

As we close off the blog for another year, we finished by looking at some of the biggest surprises from the first-round picks, the possible steals who fell further than expected, and who are the first-round calibre prospects not selected that will be there for the taking in Round 2.