Over the weekend, Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a five-year deal with an AAV of $15 million. It is just the latest example of the advantage the Montreal Canadiens are going to have over the rest of the league when it comes to their salary cap.
Bedard was the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and was expected to be a generational talent. He would win the Calder Trophy in 2024 after 61 points as a rookie. However, he really hasn't gotten to the expectations that many had for him with 67 and 75 points the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Ivan Demidov, who was the fifth overall pick in 2024, had almost identical numbers in his rookie season to Bedard with 62 points. He has also done something Bedard has yet to accomplish, and that is to play in a playoff game. Demidov was a key part of the Canadiens' run to the Eastern Conference Final with nine points in 19 games.
Demidov also signed an extension this summer and agreed to an eight-year deal with an AAV of $9.15 million.
The stark contrast between the Blackhawks' and Canadiens' future core cap strategies
While Bedard has two more years of NHL experience and is a center, which typically is more valuable for a team, the difference in contracts is a stark reminder of how well the Canadiens are positioned for the future.
As of right now, they don't have a single player with an AAV over $10 million. They have a core that includes Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, and now Demidov under contract for at least the next four seasons.
With a rising salary cap, the Canadiens are in a great position to be aggressive in free agency in the future or not be restricted by the cap when discussing trades. It also shows a franchise that isn't panicking and having to overpay with the success they have had on the ice.
Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are trying to get to that level and have now given out two contracts with AAV over $10 million just this summer, with Bowen Byram also getting a new deal.
The new contract for Demidov isn't even a month old and still a year away from actually starting, but the Bedard contract is just the latest example of how great a deal it was for the Montreal Canadiens.
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