Bronze medalist of the 2002 Olympic Games, **[Sergey Samsonov](https://example.com)**, expressed his agreement with the comparison of Montreal Canadiens forward **Ivan Demidov** to Minnesota Wild’s **Kirill Kaprizov**. The 19-year-old Russian recently made his NHL debut after a season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL.

“I believe the comparison to Kaprizov is quite fitting. While it may not be entirely relevant at this moment, I can agree with it when looking at their playing styles. Demidov possesses impressive attributes; in attacking, he can score, make assists, play for the team, take hits, and maintain possession of the puck.

Regarding his physicality—Ivan isn’t so small that he should fear his opponents. He has played in a very competitive league and for an excellent team. I see a significant advantage in the fact that he arrived at the end of the regular season and immediately adapted to the team after having a successful season in Russia. This is quite different from starting at the beginning of the season. Yes, he can play two-way hockey. In his first game, he not only handled the puck well but also performed admirably without it,” Samsonov told TASS.