The first day of free agency is always busy around the league, but for the Montreal Canadiens, they made mostly minor moves that will help Laval more than the NHL team. However, while they didn't add any top unrestricted free agents, they still walked away with the best move of the day with an eight-year extension for forward Ivan Demidov.
Demidov was the Canadiens first round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and is entering the final year of his entry-level contract this season. Last season was his first full season in the NHL, and he made an immediate impact with 19 goals and 43 assists in 82 games, with another nine points in 19 playoff games.
Ivan Demidov was rewarded with a long-term deal but the Montreal Canadiens might be the big winner
It is certainly a risk for a team to commit long-term to a player after only one season, but what Demidov showed the Canadiens and the rest of the league, it shouldn't be a concern. The eight-year contract has an AAV of $9.15 million and will only get better each passing season.
The salary cap is expected to continue to rise, and if it does, at an average of 4%, Demidov's salary during the 2034-35 season would be equivalent to a contract with an AAV of $5.8 million.
On the first day of free agency, there was not an unrestricted free agent who signed a contract with a bigger AAV than Demidov. The Canadiens made a big commitment, but there also wasn't a player that is as talented as Demidov.
Mason Marchment, who was a target for the Canadiens, signed with the San Jose Sharks on a five-year deal with an AAV of $6.75 million, but has yet to break 55 points in a season, while Demidov finished with 62 in his first season.
The Canadiens now have a core of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson for at least the next four seasons. It is tough to find a team in the league with a core like this under contract for that long and it is an advantage that Kent Hughes will be able to capitalize in the seasons ahead.
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