Ivan Demidov Cards: Collect Hockey's Highest-Ceiling Prospect

The Case for Getting In Early

When a teenager puts up the kind of numbers Ivan Demidov produced at SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL — against grown men, in one of the world's toughest leagues — the hockey world takes notice. Selected fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Draft, Demidov built his reputation with a dazzling campaign that no teenager had matched in years. His combination of elite skating, a creative playmaking toolkit, and a highlight reel that went viral internationally made him one of the most talked-about draft prospects in recent memory. The Montreal connection amplifies everything — the most passionate hockey market on earth is starving for a franchise forward, and Demidov fits the profile.

Collectors who got in early on Russian prospects like Artemi Panarin and Kirill Kaprizov understand the upside. Demidov's collector base skews toward prospectors and risk-tolerant hobbyists who are willing to buy before the NHL debut in exchange for potentially outsized returns. Montreal fans represent a dedicated buying block that will support his market regardless of short-term fluctuations, giving Demidov a base level of collector interest that most prospects do not enjoy.

Key Cards at Every Price Point

2024 Leaf Metal Draft and Pre-Draft Products — Demidov's earliest available cards come from Leaf and other pre-draft releases. These are the entry-level options for collectors who want cards before any Upper Deck NHL-licensed products hit the market. Autographed versions carry premiums but come with the caveat of being unlicensed.

2024-25 Upper Deck CHL and Draft-Year Products — Upper Deck's draft-focused releases will feature Demidov's first licensed cards. These bridge the gap between pre-draft speculation and his eventual NHL rookie cards, and historically carry moderate long-term value for prospects who pan out.

Upcoming Young Guns Rookie Card — When Demidov makes his NHL debut, his Upper Deck Young Guns will become the definitive card. Savvy collectors track the prospect market now and plan their buying strategy for the flagship rookie, which is where the real long-term value concentrates in hockey collecting.

What to Watch For — and When to Buy

Prospect card markets are driven by projection, not production. Every KHL stat line, development camp report, and rumor about Demidov's NHL timeline can move prices within hours. Watch for dips after quiet stretches or negative rumors — those are your buying windows if you believe in the talent. A dominant international tournament performance or an announced roster spot triggers buying surges, so get in before those moments, not after. Delays or injury concerns can drop values just as fast, and that volatility is the defining characteristic of prospect collecting.

Supply is limited but fragmented across unlicensed and licensed products. Pre-draft cards have smaller collector pools, which means less trading activity and wider price spreads — that actually works in your favor if you are patient and can wait for a motivated seller. As Upper Deck releases NHL-licensed Demidov cards, the market will consolidate around those products. Collectors who understand this transition from prospect to rookie products and buy accordingly will be in the best spot.

Mantel Tracks It All

Demidov's market runs on KHL stat lines, development camp whispers, and timeline rumors that most collectors outside the prospect community never see — and connecting with collectors who actually follow the Russian league is the edge that separates informed buyers from latecomers. Mantel's community is where Demidov prospectors share real-time updates from SKA Saint Petersburg, debate NHL timeline projections, compare pre-draft versus licensed product strategies, and surface the kind of context that does not show up in a box score. SLAM scores measure actual sales velocity, price trends, and trading activity, cutting through the noise to tell you whether a viral highlight clip is generating genuine demand or a short-lived pump. Comps show what Demidov cards are actually selling for — not just asking prices — so you can evaluate your buy against real transaction data. Real-time listings from eBay and Fanatics Collect flow into one searchable feed, letting you compare across sellers and products without juggling multiple marketplaces. And Wish List alerts notify you the moment a target card appears at the price you want, so you can act before a positive development camp report moves the market.

Prospect markets reward the collectors with the best information networks, and for a KHL prospect like Demidov, that means being connected to people who are actually watching. Mantel gives you the community, the real-time data, and the listings to buy smart before the NHL debut changes everything. Start tracking Demidov cards on Mantel today.