Juraj Slafkovsky said something that stopped a lot of people, of many different fan bases, in their tracks.
“It’s not really about the money for anyone in Montreal,” Slafkovsky said. “We’d rather just focus on collecting those rings.”
The Montreal Canadiens have spent the last few years building their contracts around that mentality. Nick Suzuki is signed for $7.875 million per season. Cole Caufield makes $7.85 million. Slafkovsky is at $7.6 million. Lane Hutson signed for $8.85 million, Noah Dobson is at $9.5 million, and Ivan Demidov signed an eight-year extension worth $9.15 million per season.
Montreal's highest-paid player, Dobson, didn't even sign his contract with the team; he was traded to them from the New York Islanders.
Montreal has its core under contract for years, until the first extension expires in 2030. Every one of those players could be part of the Canadiens through the rest of the decade if they continue to re-sign at this rate.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers have spent a lot of time trying to build around large contracts at the top of the roster. Leon Draisaitl carries a $ 14 million cap hit. McDavid is at $12.5 million. Evan Bouchard's new contract pays him $10.5 million per season. Those three contracts account for $37 million before Stan Bowman gets to the rest of the lineup.
The players have earned their money. Draisaitl has won multiple Hart Trophies, Art Ross Trophies, and Ted Lindsay Awards while producing at a level few players in the league can reach. McDavid is arguably underpaid for what he does. Bouchard put himself in a position for a major contract through his production from the blue line.
Edmonton has generally paid it's star players what they deserve.
Montreal has created an internal salary structure that its players appear willing to follow. Suzuki signed his eight-year deal in 2021. Caufield followed in 2023. Slafkovsky signed his extension in 2024, Hutson followed, and Demidov joined the group this summer.
Demidov had 62 points as a rookie and signed as soon as he became eligible. Hutson signed after winning the Calder Trophy. Slafkovsky agreed to his contract at 20, with plenty of years still ahead of him. None of them waited until the last possible moment to find out what unrestricted leverage or another season of production could bring.
They wanted the contracts done. They wanted to stay in Montreal. They wanted the organization to have money available to keep building the roster.
An extra million dollars on six contracts is $6 million that can't be spent somewhere else. A few players taking reasonable long-term numbers can create enough room for another forward, defenceman, or goaltender. It can give Kent Hughes money at the trade deadline without offloading someone else first. It can also keep a roster together when younger players begin needing new contracts.
Obviously, the Oilers have some discount contracts. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins signed for eight years at $5.125 million in 2021. Zach Hyman signed for $5.5 million and gave Edmonton one of the best contracts in NHL history. McDavid's current $12.5 million deal was a show-me deal to the Oilers, but a cheap one at that.
There has never been a salary structure throughout the entire roster that everyone seemed determined to maintain. Edmonton negotiated each contract on its own terms and dealt with the cap situation that followed.
That approach is common throughout the NHL. Players spend their careers working toward unrestricted free agency and the opportunity to secure their largest contract. Agents have a responsibility to maximize earnings. Careers can end quickly, and teams regularly trade, waive or buy out players when their contracts stop working for the organization.
Slafkovsky's comments provide some insight into how the players in Montreal see it. He is talking about winning a Stanley Cup. The players appear to view their contracts as part of keeping the group together long enough to do that.
Edmonton has spent years searching for value around McDavid and Draisaitl because every dollar matters once the top of the roster has been paid. Stan Bowman looks for players willing to sign short contracts, veterans whose markets disappeared and young players capable of producing on inexpensive deals. One bad contract can remove much of the remaining flexibility.
The same issue exists throughout the league. Toronto infamously paid the core-4 and then had nothing left. Colorado just signed Cale Makar to a $20.4 million contract. Florida might run out of cap space this year. Tampa Bay has had to let players go after winning their recent Stanley Cups.
Every contender eventually has players who need to get paid.
Montreal's current players seem determined to keep that problem under control before it arrives. Their comments underline that the message has become part of the culture, and every new extension gives the next player another reason to take less so he can win more.
The Oilers should want that.
McDavid and Draisaitl say they want to win a Stanley Cup. The team has made decisions around giving them that opportunity, and both players have already committed significant portions of their careers to Edmonton. Creating an internal expectation around contracts could become another part of keeping a winning roster together.
Why can't more NHL teams convince their stars that leaving money available can help them win? Why can't players decide that keeping another teammate around has value of its own? Why can't a room establish a number and have its core buy into it?
Montreal has managed to get several players thinking that way at the same time. The Canadiens now have years to see what they can build with the room those contracts provide.
Why can't Edmonton do the same thing?
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