Connor Bedard’s new contract is the kind of deal that puts a team’s cap picture under a microscope, and it only sharpens the contrast with the Montreal Canadiens.
Over the weekend, Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a five-year contract carrying an average annual value of $15 million. For a player who arrived with generational expectations after going first overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, it’s a massive number - and it also serves as another reminder of how cleanly Montreal has built its own financial future.
Bedard won the Calder Trophy in 2024 after posting 61 points as a rookie, but his production has settled at 67 and 75 points over the past two seasons. By comparison, Ivan Demidov - the fifth overall pick in 2024 - put together almost the same rookie output with 62 points.
He also reached something Bedard still hasn’t: a playoff game. Demidov was a major piece of the Canadiens’ run to the Eastern Conference Final, finishing with nine points in 19 games.
That performance helped set up Demidov’s own payday. He signed an eight-year extension this summer with an AAV of $9.15 million.
The gap between those two contracts says plenty about where each franchise stands. Bedard has two more years of NHL experience and plays center, a position that usually carries extra value. Even so, the difference between $15 million and $9.15 million is a loud signal about Montreal’s roster construction and cap management.
Right now, the Canadiens do not have a single player with an AAV above $10 million. Their core is already locked in around Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, and Demidov, with all of them under contract for at least the next four seasons.
That kind of setup gives Montreal real flexibility as the salary cap rises. It leaves the Canadiens room to attack free agency when the time comes, and it keeps them from being boxed in if they want to swing a trade. Just as important, it shows a team that has not felt the need to overpay while success is already showing up on the ice.
Chicago is chasing that kind of stability, but the Blackhawks have gone in the opposite direction this summer. Bedard’s deal is one of two contracts they’ve handed out with an AAV above $10 million, with Bowen Byram also getting a new one.
Demidov’s extension is still less than a month old and won’t even kick in for another year, but Bedard’s contract is the latest proof that Montreal’s long game is working exactly the way it should.
In Other News...
John Marinos 8-Year Utah Deal Just Fueled Canadiens Blue Line Debate
John Marinos new eight-year extension in Utah adds another data point to the ongoing blue-line salary conversation around Montreal. At $6.75 million per season, the deal sits in the same neighborhood as several Canadiens defensemen and helps frame how different teams are valuing role, production and upside on the back end. Marinos contract also removes one more notable name from next summers unrestricted free agent market, narrowing the pool for clubs still looking for help on defense.
For Montreal, the comparison is especially useful because Kent Hughes has assembled a defense corps with a wide range of price points and responsibilities. Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson all occupy different tiers, and Marinos number only sharpens the debate over where the sweet spot really is for roster construction. It is the kind of contract that can make a teams own blue line look either disciplined or expensive, depending on how much value it gets from each role. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Add A Young Forward Who Could Climb Faster Than Expected
The Laval Rocket have added another young forward to their pipeline, giving a 23-year-old left winger a fresh chance to push his way into the American Hockey League picture. The move fits the kind of low-risk, upside-minded depth signing that can matter for a Canadiens organization always looking for players who can grow into larger roles if their development keeps moving in the right direction.
He already has a bit of familiarity with the Rocket after appearing in three games with the club last season, and his path has taken him through the QMJHL and ECHL before this latest step. A one-year two-way deal for the 2026-27 season gives him a clear runway to try to establish himself in Laval, with the next stretch of his career likely to determine how quickly he can climb from organizational depth to something more. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Finally Have A Real Answer At Center
The Canadiens have spent plenty of time looking for help down the middle, and the search keeps circling back to the same basic need: a center who can stabilize the second line without forcing the front office into a reckless overpay. Morgan Frost has emerged as an intriguing name in that conversation, with his contract viewed as manageable and the acquisition price expected to stay within reason, which matters for a team trying to improve without emptying the cupboard.
Frosts profile also fits the kind of move Montreal has been exploring, since he brings recent production and enough offensive touch to at least make the idea worth serious discussion. The question now is whether the Canadiens can turn interest into something more concrete while they keep sorting out the long-term picture at center, including the possibility of waiting on Michael Hage as part of the bigger plan. [Read more 🡒]