Canadiens’ Culture Will Shape Ivan Demidov’s Contract Extension

Based on general manager (GM) Kent Hughes’ track record of locking up his high-skilled young talent to long-term contracts immediately out of their entry-level contract (ELC), it would not be a surprise to see him signed to a long-term deal that fits within the team’s current cap structure. The trend in the NHL, but specifically with the Canadiens, is to commit early to elite young talent, and Demidov’s skill set of high-end vision, creativity, and scoring touch fits that mold.

Contract Comparables

The NHL’s salary cap has already shot up to $95.5 million, and is projected to only climb higher in the coming seasons. During the flat cap era, teams had to pinch pennies and watch every dollar to ensure they had enough money for their entire roster, but now that the cap is on the rise, teams can be more generous with their spending. Yet the smart ones still try to sign their best players for slightly less than the going rate, saving money and using it to spend on complementary players.

Looking at recent deals, Logan Cooley’s contract provides a useful benchmark in terms of a young forward who earned significant responsibility early in his career. Cooley’s point production has been built on pace, transition dominance, and centre-driven play, whereas Demidov projects as a more creative offensive catalyst who can manipulate the pace and direction of the game to surgically dissect defences. Both profiles can yield high-end scoring at the NHL level.

Cooley’s contract of $10 million for eight years accounts for 9.62% of the total salary cap. It doesn’t kick in until next season, but it reflects both his draft pedigree and his immediate impact, landing in a range that balances upside with a still-developing résumé. His points per game after 115 games sits at .82, and Demidov’s is at .79 after only 68 games.

Similarly, Mason McTavish’s contract offers another strong comparable, particularly because of his role as a core offensive piece who contributes in multiple situations. McTavish’s contract, a six-year deal paying him $7 million per season, leans slightly more toward proven NHL production and physical two-way play, whereas Demidov’s case may hinge more on raw offensive upside and projection. McTavish’s point per game production sits at .59, which is lower than Demidov’s. However, the Anaheim Ducks forward is a centre and plays a far more physical brand in a power forward mold. Their playing styles vary, but that doesn’t lessen either’s impact on the game for their respective teams.

Canadiens’ Culture and Own Comparables

What makes this negotiation particularly interesting is the internal precedent already set by the Canadiens’ young core. The Canadiens have made a habit of signing players to reasonable cap hits, like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield (7.6%), Juraj Slafkovsky (7.3%), and even Noah Dobson (9.1%). They have all embraced deals that balance fair value with team flexibility, helping establish a culture focused on sustainable contention.

It is very possible that Demidov will follow that model, prioritizing stability and team success over maximizing every dollar on his second contract. If that approach holds, his extension could come in slightly below his open-market ceiling, another signal that Montreal’s emerging core is aligned not just in talent, but in its commitment to building a competitive window that lasts for years.

Montreal’s three core forwards, mentioned above, are all locked up until at least 2030 with cap hits under $8 million each. With the NHL’s salary cap on the rise, it means that all three are on very team-friendly deals. How does Hughes convince players to take a little bit less? What about taxes? Well, taxes do matter to players, especially in a high-tax province like Quebec, but there are ways to mitigate that impact. For instance, Canadian tax on signing bonuses for non-residents of Canada is limited to 15%, which is why you sometimes see a player sign a deal with a base salary of $1 million and the remaining in signing bonuses, leaving the player with less of a tax burden on the majority of their pay.

Demidov’s contract situation is likely to be influenced by internal team precedents like those above. This season, they have already followed that up with another core player signing a long-term deal, this time on defence with Lane Hutson. He represents the kind of high-skill player who, despite strong upside and offensive impact from the blue line, opted for an eight-year deal paying him $8.85 million that takes up 8.51% of the total salary cap. It is a deal that prioritizes team flexibility and long-term competitiveness over maxing out early earnings. If a player like Hutson buys into that structure, it creates a cultural and financial framework that can subtly pressure similarly aged stars to follow suit.

Building off that internal structure, a reasonable expectation is that Demidov’s extension could land in a similar percentage range of the salary cap, likely somewhere between roughly 8% and 9%, depending on how his production trends, especially in the playoffs, leading into negotiations. That would align closely with the precedent set by Hutson, while still accounting for Demidov’s offensive upside and potential top-line role. Rather than pushing for a double-digit cap hit that elite wingers can sometimes command on the open market, Demidov may see value in locking into a long-term deal that provides security while leaving room for the team to continue strengthening the roster around him.

What makes that kind of compromise increasingly realistic is the culture being established within the Canadiens organization. With leaders like Suzuki and rising stars such as Slafkovsky already setting the tone, there’s a clear emphasis on collective success over individual maximization. For a young player like Demidov, joining a core that is visibly aligned in its approach to winning can be a powerful incentive, one that goes beyond dollars and into long-term competitiveness. In that environment, taking a slightly lower cap percentage, especially with the creative methods to minimize tax burdens, isn’t viewed as a sacrifice, but as an investment in a team that has the pieces to contend consistently if financial flexibility is preserved.

As a result, Demidov could reasonably come in at or around projections set by players like Cooley or Hutson, even if his offensive upside is comparable or higher. Taking a marginally lower cap hit than expected, perhaps in the $8.5–9.5 million range instead of pushing beyond that, will give the team more room to build around this young core while still securing long-term financial stability for himself. In that sense, Demidov’s deal wouldn’t just reflect his individual value, but also a broader commitment to a sustainable contender model shaped by their current core group.