Juraj Slafkovsky made it pretty plain last week in Slovakia: for the Montreal Canadiens, the money talk is secondary.
Speaking at the Hockey Player of the Year gala, the Canadiens forward was asked about the wave of massive NHL contracts and whether players might eventually look back and wonder if they left money on the table. Slafkovsky didn’t leave much room for debate.
“It’s not really about the money for anyone there (in Montreal). We all have the same goal on that team.
Nobody really cares about the money at this point. I mean, all those contracts that the guys have, or even I personally have, it’s already made our lives easier enough.
Nobody really needs more than that. We’d rather focus on collecting those (Stanley Cup) rings, because that’s a much bigger number, and I don’t think any amount of money can top that.”
That mindset has become the Canadiens’ public stance, and right now it’s easy to see why. Montreal sits in a strong salary-cap spot, with Noah Dobson currently the club’s highest-paid player at a $9.5 million cap hit. The real test comes later, when the roster starts moving into contract season for its core pieces.
Nick Suzuki is due for a new deal at the end of the 2029-30 season. Cole Caufield and Kaiden Guhle follow in five years. Slafkovsky and Dobson will need new contracts in 2033.
That’s the hard truth of life in a cap league: nothing stays put for long, no matter how well a front office builds. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have put together a strong group, but they still haven’t turned the financial flexibility created by those deals into outside help. If that never happens, selling the idea that taking less money boosts the Canadiens’ Cup odds gets a lot tougher.
In Other News...
Canadiens Quiet Offseason May Be About To Change Fast
Montreals quiet offseason has started to feel a little less quiet as the Canadiens continue to be mentioned in the same breath as other Atlantic Division clubs that have already made their rosters look stronger. The sense around the team is not that a deal is done, but that general manager Kent Hughes has kept the door open to trade talks while the front office keeps searching for ways to upgrade a top-six forward group that still looks like the clearest need.
A handful of names have surfaced in the rumor mill, including Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj, which is enough to keep speculation humming even without a confirmed transaction. For a Canadiens club that has spent much of the summer waiting for the market to bring the right opportunity, the next move may come quickly if Hughes decides the fit and timing are finally there. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Face A Tough Price If They Push For Arber Xhekaj
Arber Xhekaj keeps showing up in trade chatter for the simple reason that teams looking for defensive help notice what he brings. The Montreal defenseman has the kind of edge and presence that can appeal to a club trying to toughen up its blue line, and Anaheim has been floated as a fit if the Ducks decide to keep pushing for more depth on the back end. For Montreal, though, the broader picture matters just as much as the player itself, because any discussion of moving Xhekaj would have to make sense for a team that still sees value in what he adds.
The obstacle for Anaheim is not just whether Xhekaj is available, but whether the price is worth it while the Ducks juggle cap concerns and the need to get Cutter Gauthier signed. Even in a hypothetical framework, the ask would have to be substantial enough to interest Montreal, which is why these talks tend to circle around prospects and draft capital rather than a simple hockey trade. For now, there is no sign the Canadiens are looking to make Xhekaj available, which leaves this more as a useful reminder of his market value than a deal on the verge of happening. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Delay On Arber Xhekaj And Zach Bolduc Raises Bigger Questions
The Canadiens still have two restricted free agents waiting for contracts in Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc, and the delay has become more interesting than the usual summer paperwork. Anthony Di Marco noted that there is uncertainty not just about the terms, but also about the timeline, with Montreal still working through how it wants to handle both players as part of its roster planning.
Xhekaj and Bolduc are in very different spots, which is part of what makes the situation worth watching. Xhekajs next step appears tied to how the club values him in the depth chart, while Bolducs case carries more weight because of the way Montreal acquired him and the flexibility he brings. Until the Canadiens sort out those negotiations, there is a small but meaningful question hanging over how the organization sees each player in the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]