Major rumour confirmed for Ivan Demidov days ahead of the NHL draft

The 2024 NHL Draft has several intriguing prospects, and while Macklin Celebrini is a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick to the San Jose Sharks, Ivan Demidov has the potential to be just as good. The Russian winger is among the top tier group of prospects in this upcoming draft, with many predicting he will go in the top three alongside Celebrini and Artyom Levshunov.

Now, an intriguing development has been confirmed, with official measurements from the NHL combine showing that he has indeed grown over an inch since his latest measurements.

According to agent Dan Millstein, the 18-year old Demidov has gone from 5-foot-11 to now standing at 6-foot-1, and given the talent and potential he's shown, this growth will be a major talking point for teams. While it's unclear that this growth (alongside an 11 pound weight growth) will effect his draft stock, it's safe to say that he becomes even more of an intriguing prospect now, and may be locked into the No. 2 or 3 overall pick, held currently by Chicago and Anaheim.

Most see Demidov as a lottery pick in any recent draft given his talent and production, and now with the size and more potential growth to go with it, it's safe to say he'll be coveted when the draft arrives in just over a week.