It is not just about new additions and trades on free agency day. It is also about the players you already have that are eligible for new deals. The Canadiens locked in another major piece on Wednesday by signing forward Ivan Demidov to an eight-year contract extension worth $9.15 million per season.
It is the type of deal that should age fantastically, not only due to the fact that Demidov’s best days are still ahead of him, but also because the salary cap is going to continue rising in the coming seasons.
With Demidov signed, Montreal now has him, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Noah Dobson locked in for at least the next four years, with several of them going well beyond that. None of them makes more than $10 million per season. Only two of them make more than $8.5 million per season.
That is fantastic work by Montreal management and gives them a massive advantage in building their team in the coming seasons.
It is already one of the best young core groups in the league, and all have contracts that should give Montreal the freedom and flexibility to make major additions. The Carolina Hurricanes did something similar with their core over the past few years, which eventually helped lead to a championship. Montreal has to like the path it is on right now.
