Photo credit: NHL

As we reported to you a few minutes ago, Ivan Demidov is on the plane and on his way to Canada. He will land in Toronto a little later today.

That said, we received several interesting questions, all centered around the same inquiry.. Why wait?

If Demidov is arriving in Canada tonight, why wait until Saturday for him to join his new teammates? And why have him play only next Monday?

Marco D’Amico provides the answer in his article.

“Now that the administrative formalities are done, the 19-year-old player will spend Friday acclimating and resting after his trip from Istanbul.

Demidov is expected to join the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday for their matchup against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Despite joining the team this weekend, Demidov’s NHL debut is still scheduled for Monday, April 14 at the Bell Centre against the Blackhawks […].”

– Marco D’Amico, via RG.org

We recommend his full article [RG].

The Canadiens are voluntarily giving Ivan Demidov two full days of rest

It’s surprising, but above all, it’s a smart decision, and I love it.

Especially considering the team’s position in the standings, even if he could technically play tomorrow night, I think it’s wise to wait until Monday before inserting him into Martin St-Louis’ lineup.

In summary, Demidov will land tonight in Toronto, but he’ll only join the team on Saturday.. Before getting ready to play his first game with the Montreal Canadiens next Monday night, against Connor Bedard, Artyom Levshunov, and the Chicago Blackhawks.

It’s going to be exciting!