Ivan Demidov’s new deal with Montreal is already turning heads, and not just because of the number on the contract.
The Canadiens winger signed an eight-year, $73.2 million extension on the opening day of free agency, a pact that carries a $9.15 million average annual value. In a market that has since seen several expensive deals come in, it already reads like a sharp piece of business for the Canadiens.
Demidov’s agent, Dan Milstein, told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette that his client understood he was giving up money in the process, but wanted to do it so the team could keep building around him. Milstein also said Demidov preferred locking in an eight-year agreement instead of taking a shorter-term route like some other top young players have done this summer. The 2024 fifth overall pick put up 62 points in 82 games last season and finished second in Calder Trophy voting.
Across the division, Boston has a roster squeeze to sort through on the blue line.
Bruins defenseman Frederic Brunet is waiver-eligible for the first time as camp approaches, and with the team already carrying plenty of depth on defense, Conor Ryan notes that moving out a blueliner could be one possible solution. Brunet is 23, and the risk of losing him for nothing on waivers in a few weeks makes the situation tricky from an asset-management standpoint. Boston currently has nine defensemen on one-way contracts, and even with Charlie McAvoy set to miss six games to open the season because of suspension, there still may not be enough room for all nine, much less Brunet.
There is better news for another Bruins young player.
Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe reports that prospect Dans Locmelis has fully recovered from late-season shoulder surgery. The 22-year-old put together a strong first full pro season with AHL Providence, finishing with 15 goals and 13 assists in 43 games.
He also scored twice for Latvia in four Olympic games. Locmelis has an outside shot at making Boston’s roster out of training camp, though the more likely path is another season in Providence and a chance to earn an in-season call-up.
In Other News...
Bruins Are Trying To Protect Charlie McAvoy From One Major Drain
Charlie McAvoy has become the kind of defenseman Boston leans on in every situation, but the Bruins are trying to be a little more careful with how much they ask of him. Coach Marco Sturm and executive Don Sweeney have both signaled a plan to trim back McAvoys penalty-killing workload, a move that fits the broader push to manage his overall ice time without asking him to do less of what makes him valuable.
The urgency makes sense after McAvoy carried a heavy shorthanded burden last season while still producing career highs in assists and power-play points. Boston added Will Borgen with an eye toward spreading out the penalty-killing responsibilities, and how quickly that adjustment takes hold could matter for a blue line that wants McAvoy fresh enough to keep driving play at both ends. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Still Have One Big Roster Debate Before Camp
The Bruins addressed one glaring need by adding JJ Peterka, but the work around the roster is not done as camp approaches. Boston still has eyes on help for the blue line and down the middle, with the front office looking to round out a group that has already taken at least one big step toward filling its top-six wing vacancy.
The speculation now centers on a few names that would fit different parts of the puzzle, from a defenseman who could bolster the top four to centers who might strengthen the middle six. Alexander Nikishin, Kent Johnson and Shane Wright have all surfaced in the rumor mill as possible trade fits, but for now it remains just that, with no confirmed move giving the Bruins the clean answer they still seem to be chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Face A February Stretch That Could Define Don Sweeney
February could turn into one of those months that quietly shapes the rest of the Bruins season. With no in-season tournament to interrupt the calendar for the first time in three years, Boston gets an 11-day break built into a schedule that still asks plenty of it, with nine games spread across the month and a mix of road and home challenges that will test how the roster holds up after the pause.
The stretch starts and ends against the Maple Leafs, which gives the month an immediate sense of symmetry and pressure for a team trying to define its direction. How Boston handles those games, along with the rest of the February slate, figures to weigh heavily on general manager Don Sweeney as he decides how aggressive to be with the trade deadline approaching. [Read more 🡒]