Ivan Demidov left money on the table when he signed his contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens, and the real reason why is something Montreal fans will absolutely love.
Demidov signed an eight-year, $73.2 million extension with Montreal on July 1, worth $9.15 million a season and including an $11.5 million signing bonus payable next July, along with a 10-team no-trade clause kicking in for the final three years. According to his agent, Dan Milstein of Goldstar Hockey, Demidov could have squeezed more money out of the deal, but chose not to.
“Ivan basically said he wanted the eight-year deal. He wanted it done quickly and wanted to leave room financially for Montreal to get even better,” Milstein told the Montreal Gazette’s Herb Zurkowsky.
Ivan Demidov’s contract
Milstein said the motivation behind it came straight from Demidov himself, framed around building a winner in Montreal rather than maximizing his own paycheck.
“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,” Milstein said.
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Milstein added that Demidov, just 20 years old and only 84 career games into his NHL career at the time of signing, is playing the long game. “My client, at the age of 28 or 29, will be able to sign whatever deal’s available at the time. That will probably be four or five times bigger than what it is today,” he said.
Milstein isn’t shy about how high he thinks Demidov’s ceiling is, either.
“He’s going to have a very bright future. Within the next couple of years, he’s going to be one of the top players in the NHL,” Milstein said. “Mark my words, this player is going to be in the conversation as one of the best players in the league. Give it a few more years. He will be a household name in the NHL — not just in Montreal.”
Demidov will play out the final year of his entry-level contract in 2026-27 before the new extension kicks in, looking to build on the 19 goals and 62 points he posted last season.
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