Nikita Kucherov in a Canadiens sweater? Jeff Marek floated the idea this week, and Montreal fans will be chewing on it for days.
On The Sheet Podcast, Marek laid out his theory with a bold line: "There are more Russian players on the horizon that are coming to the Montreal Canadiens."
He also tossed in a mentor angle for Ivan Demidov. That's the hook that pushes this beyond bar talk.
Kucherov is coming off a 130-point season in just 76 games. He's still producing like his prime never ended.
The playmaking is what jumps off the page. He handed out 86 assists last season, exactly the skill set a young winger would want on his flank.
The clip shows Marek talking himself deeper into it mid-thought, circling back with "the more that I think about this" before turning his attention to Tampa.
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Julien Brisebois holds the key to Marek's Montreal theory
Nothing moves without the Lightning. Every one of Kucherov's 879 NHL games has come in a Tampa Bay sweater.
He was a second-round pick back in 2011, 58th overall. Julien Brisebois doesn't give that kind of homegrown star away for a mentorship storyline.
Demidov, meanwhile, fired four shots on goal Monday night in a 3-2 overtime win over Ottawa. He still finished minus-2.
Montreal is 3-0 in preseason heading back to Ottawa on Saturday. Martin St-Louis has momentum in camp, and now a rumor hovering over it.
Would Kent Hughes really push his chips in for a player on the back nine of his career?
It's a bad fit on timing alone. Any price for a winger like this would start with the young pieces Montreal wants to keep.
Pairing Demidov with Kucherov would be like handing an apprentice chef the keys to a Michelin kitchen. Great education, brutal tuition.
The spring résumé is loaded, with 177 playoff points in 159 games.
Last postseason was quieter for the Lightning winger. He managed six points in seven games.
He also sits at 1,124 career points. Players at that altitude rarely move because of podcast chatter.
The Canadiens open in Toronto on September 29. If Marek's pipeline theory holds, the next Russian name tied to Montreal might not wait long.
Should the Canadiens chase Nikita Kucherov to mentor Ivan Demidov?
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