With the salary cap climbing and megadeals becoming more common across the league, the Canadiens still sit on the outside of the $10 million club - but they came close this summer.
Montreal’s new deal for Ivan Demidov wound up as an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9.15 million, just shy of that benchmark. Around the NHL, the number of players beginning contracts above $10 million is growing fast: over the last three years, 12 players started deals at that level, and this season that figure is set to reach 13. There are now 20 teams with at least one player carrying an AAV above $10 million.
The Canadiens are not one of them. In franchise history, they’ve had only one player sign a contract with an AAV over $10 million, and that was Carey Price, who signed an eight-year, $84 million deal in 2017.
So who is next?
It’s not an easy answer, largely because so many of Montreal’s key pieces are already locked in long term. Nick Suzuki is the closest to free agency among the club’s top players, and he’s still under contract for four more seasons.
Cole Caufield has five seasons left. Juraj Slafkovsky and Noah Dobson are both signed for seven more years.
Lane Hutson is under contract for eight. Demidov, meanwhile, won’t be eligible for free agency for nine more seasons.
There are a couple of internal names worth watching. Jakub Dobes, who just signed a new contract this summer, is under contract for four more seasons. If he develops into a yearly Vezina Trophy candidate, a massive payday could be waiting down the line.
Another possibility is not on the roster at all, but in the organization. Michael Hage could put himself in position for a major deal if he becomes the top-end center some believe he can be, especially toward the end of his entry-level contract.
Still, the most realistic path to Montreal’s next $10 million player may come from outside the organization. The Canadiens weren’t in a position this summer to chase a major free agent, and the market didn’t offer many anyway. But as the cap keeps rising, the team should have more flexibility to spend aggressively if the right player becomes available.
That’s the bigger picture here: this kind of contract is only going to become more common. And with Montreal having been so proactive about locking up its young core early, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Canadiens end up among the last teams to finally add another player at that $10 million level.
In Other News...
Canadiens Face A Real Xhekaj Decision In New Trade Proposal
Arber Xhekaj keeps lingering in the center of Montreals offseason conversation, and the latest trade idea only adds another layer to it. Calgarys interest in the young Canadiens defenseman has been floating around for months, and the discussion has resurfaced again as Montreal continues sorting out its blue line and weighing what kind of move would actually make sense for the roster it wants to build.
The appeal from the Canadiens side is straightforward enough: they have been looking for a right-handed defenseman who can handle meaningful minutes, and the proposal being kicked around would address that need while forcing Montreal to decide how much value it is willing to attach to Xhekaj. Depending on how the deal is structured, the price could climb beyond a simple one-for-one swap, which is exactly why this has become one of those talks worth watching rather than dismissing. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Real Shot At The Young Center They Need
The Canadiens have spent plenty of time looking for another young center to grow with their core, and Adam Fantilli is suddenly part of that conversation because of what is happening in Columbus. The Blue Jackets are believed to be getting close to the salary cap faster than expected, which has put a little more intrigue around a player who already looks like one of the leagues brighter young pivots.
Fantilli, 21, turned in a strong season with 59 points in 82 games, enough to make him the kind of center any team would at least have to think about. Montreal has not been confirmed as a club preparing an offer sheet, but the possibility alone is enough to keep the idea alive, especially if Columbus finds itself in a spot where matching becomes difficult. [Read more 🡒]
NHL Expansion Buzz Just Put The Nordiques Dream In Jeopardy
The NHL expansion conversation has started to sharpen, and for Canadiens fans with one eye on the old Nordiques rivalry, the latest chatter is not exactly encouraging. Doug McLean and other hockey voices have been pointing toward Houston as the next city in line for an expansion franchise, with Austin also being mentioned in the mix before quickly fading from view.
For Montreal followers, the significance goes beyond another market on the league map. If Houston is indeed the destination, it would make the long-discussed idea of the Nordiques coming back look even more remote, even if the NHL has not made anything official yet. For now, it is still just buzz, but it is the kind of buzz that can change how people talk about hockey in Quebec. [Read more 🡒]