There's been a lot of talk in recent weeks about what the Montreal Canadiens may or may not do this summer. Externally, the club would love to bring in a second line centerman, potentially a second line winger too, via trade, but there was also a big piece internally that fans were hoping the Canadiens would lock up as soon as 12 pm ET hit on Wednesday.
Today, forward Ivan Demidov became eligible to sign a contract extension with the Canadiens as he's set to enter the final year of his entry-level contract this fall and the organization wasted no time in getting a deal done with the 2024 fifth overall pick.
Montreal Canadiens sign Ivan Demidov to long-term contract extension
Shortly before noon, Dan Milstein, the agent for Ivan Demidov, took to social media to announce that his client has agreed to terms on an eight-year extension that comes with an average annual value of $9.15 million USD. Including the final year of his entry-level contract, Demidov is under contract with the Canadiens for the next nine seasons (2026-27 to 2034-35).
"Ivan Demidov. 9 seasons. Montreal Canadiens. He is staying. Ivan Demidov has agreed to terms on an 8-year extension at $9.150M AAV. #GoHabsGo #WeAreGoldStar!" Milstein said in a post on X.
Ivan Demidov. 9 seasons. Montreal Canadiens.
— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) July 1, 2026
He is staying. Ivan Demidov has agreed to terms on an 8-year extension at $9.150mm AAV. #GoHabsGo #WeAreGoldStar! pic.twitter.com/bUSMwgw9jh
A good chunk of Demidov's contract will be paid out in bonuses - $39.8 million of $73.2 million, including $21 million in years one and two. Demidov's extension also features a ten-team no-trade list in the final three seasons of the deal, according to PuckPedia.
In his first full season in the National Hockey League, Demidov led all rookies in points with 62 (19 goals, 43 assists) and added nine points in 19 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping Montreal reach the Eastern Conference Final. Demidov's strong year earned him a nomination for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is handed out annually to the league's best rookie. The 20-year-old ultimately finished as the runner-up in voting to Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders.
Kent Hughes sets Canadiens up well for the future
In addition to Ivan Demidov's extension, Kent Hughes has managed to get some great deals done in years past - Cole Caufield ($7.85 million AAV), Juraj Slafkovsky ($7.6 million AAV), Noah Dobson ($9.5 million AAV) and Lane Hutson ($8.85 million AAV). It's worth noting that while he's also on a great deal, Nick Suzuki's extension was signed by Marc Bergevin less than two months before he was fired by the Canadiens.
With the National Hockey League's salary cap expected to continue to rise in the coming years, including to potentially $113.5 million for the 2027-28 season, the Canadiens are going to have plenty of flexibility to add, regardless if it's through trade or free agency. It's going to be interesting to see how Kent Hughes manages the team's cap situation over the next 12 months, with some pretty big names eligible to hit the free agent market on July 1st, 2027.
Now that the Canadiens have locked up Ivan Demidov long-term, Hughes can turn his attention towards the team's search for a top-six forward to play alongside the Sergiyev Posad, Russia native. As rumours suggest, the Canadiens remain interested in