The Montreal Canadiens have a salary cap situation that is the envy of every other team in the NHL. They have been able to ensure that all their key young players have long-term contracts that are considered below market value.
When one player does it, that is more of a reflection of that player, but when almost every player on the team does it, then it speaks to the culture of the locker room. That everyone believes they are building something special and they want to do their part.
That is essentially what agent Dan Milstein said about Ivan Demidov and why he signed the contract he did this summer. According to Herb Zurkowsky of The Montreal Gazette, Milstein said:
“His exact words were, ‘We’re in a great situation. I feel like we’re going to be winning for many years.’ He wanted to leave money on the table so they can sign other players.”
This was a similar message that Nick Suzuki had earlier this month when he made it clear that the team just wants to win and is willing to take less to give themselves the best chance possible.
Can Kent Hughes reward the Canadiens players with a superstar?
It is rare for teams to have a collective group of players be willing to essentially leave money on the table. For general manager Kent Hughes, this looks like a great win to get players like Suzuki, Demidov, and Lane Hutson at below-market value.
However, this puts immense pressure on the Canadiens' general manager because now he needs to show the players that their willingness to take a discount was not in vain. He needs to use this extra cap space to go out and add more talent that can really put them in a position to win a Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens weren't able to do that this summer, but there also really weren't any free agents out there who warranted a massive contract. Next summer could be a different story, though, with players like Jason Robertson, Alex DeBrincat, and Drake Batherson.
That is just the free agents, but the trade market might be where they can find a big difference maker like Kirill Marchenko or even Connor McDavid, depending on how the season goes for the Edmonton Oilers.
For Kent Hughes, the only thing he can't do is just be happy with the core he has. The players did the hard part by leaving money on the table, and it is up to the Montreal Canadiens' general manager to deliver for those players.
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